Time Doesn't Heal All Wounds
by ecampbell3
Summary: Nathan Scott and Haley James haven't spoken in 7 years. Now forcefully reunited, the pain from their past is quickly resurfacing. What exactly happened between them, and can they move passed it to be friends, or perhaps more than that?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own _One Tree Hill, _the show, world and characters all belong to Mark Schawhn and the CW.

Summary: Nathan Scott and Haley James haven't spoken in 7 years. Now, reunited for their friend's wedding, the pain from their past is quickly resurfacing. What exactly happened between them, and can they move pats it to be friends, or perhaps more than that?

Author's Note: Hey guys! This is my first time actually posting a story on here. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 1

Haley James awoke to the shrill ringing of her cell phone, placed on her bed side table. She sighed and glanced at her alarm clock. _Only 7 in the morning, this better be damn important,_ she thought. Realizing her phone was still emitting that obnoxious ring, she blindly reached for the phone and flipped it open.

"Hello," she said in a raspy, sleep filled voice.

The excited voice of Haley's best friend, Brooke Davis replied. "Guess what, I'll tell you, I'm engaged!"

Upon hearing this, Haley shot up in her bed. "Oh my God! That's amazing Brooke! I'm so happy for you! You do realize it's only 7 here though, right?"

"Whatever Tutor Girl, you're lucky I waited until this decent of an hour. By the way, I took the liberty of booking you a flight; you will be in New York by tonight!" Brooke responded giddily. Despite being best friends, Haley and Brooke lived on opposite sides of the country. Brooke, being a fashion designer and CEO of her clothing company needed to live in New York City. While Haley, who was a Grammy award winning artist, needed to be stationed in Los Angeles.

"Whoa, slow down Tigger. You booked me a flight already? Don't tell me we're gonna start planning this soon?" Haley exclaimed.

"Come on Hales! I need to have the wedding of the year, and you, as my maid of honor need to help me," she returned.

"Why Lucas wants to marry you, I'll never know," Haley joked.

"Haha, very funny. Anyway, I must be going, you need to pack and I'm going to go have amazing engagement sex with Lucas," Brooke declared.

Haley rolled her eyes at this. "Okay, first of all ew. We've been over this before, Lucas is like my brother; any mention of sex and him is really disturbing. Secondly, how long am I even going to be in New York and when is my flight? And third, if I'm being forced to help you start planning, Peyton has to help too,"

Brooke responded with a laugh. "You will be here, living with me until further notice; your flight takes off at 3 o'clock and P. Sawyer-Jagielski is my next phone call. In fact, her and hubby will be in the seats next you on the plane!"

"Okay, I suppose you can call Peyton now then, and I'll see you tonight!" Haley replied.

"That I will Tutor Girl, see you soon, love you."

"Love you too, Tigger," Haley responded, and after hearing Brooke hang up, she hung up as well. She couldn't believe her best friend was finally going to marry the guy that was basically Haley's brother. They started dating junior year of high school, eight years ago. They were the perfect couple, perfect for each other in every way. Sure, they had their problems, but what couple doesn't? Look at them now though, engaged to be married, no one deserves it more than those two.

Shaking herself from her thoughts, Haley quickly remembered that she had to pack for a most likely lengthy trip. Yeah, her best friend is a fashion designer but she still needed to bring her own clothes. With that in mind, Haley leapt from her bed and headed straight for her walk-in closet and _Louis Vuitton_ luggage set.

* * *

Three hours later, Haley had finally finished packing all her clothes and other necessities for the trip, showered, and changed into her comfiest _Juicy_ track suit. Soon after calling for a car service, Haley James was on her way to _Los Angeles International Airport_.

_No sign of Peyton or Jake,_ Haley thought to herself as she made it to her gate. Instead of doing nothing while she waited, Haley pulled out a copy of _The Catcher in the Rye_ and began to read. As Haley became immersed in the world of Holden Caulfield, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Thinking it was a fan, she turned around prepared to sign an autograph, but was instead met with the sparkling green eyes of her other best friend, Peyton Sawyer Jagielski.

"Hi, Hales!" Peyton shrieked.

Haley winced slightly at her friend's screech. "Hey Peyton, it's really good to see you again, you too Jakey."

"Hey Haley, how've you been?" Jake laughed.

"I've been pretty good, making you guys happy and recording a lot, and making money for your label. What about you two?" She asked.

"We've been really good, travelling a lot, as you know. It's been really fun though, let me just say that France is beautiful," Peyton jumped back into the conversation.

Haley and Jake laughed; it was good to be back with the people she loved. Peyton and Jake sat down with Haley and soon after, the three friends boarded onto the plane, seated in the first class section. Shortly after take-off, Peyton, Jake, and Haley dove into conversation once more.

"So Jakey, I get why Brooke needs me and Peyton, but did she tell you what you're required for, or are you just accompanying wifey to New York?" Haley jokingly questioned.

"Actually, it was Lucas that told me that I _have_ to come to New York too. Something about their apartment would be run by girls so he needs his boys there to have some testosterone present still," Jake answered.

"Whatever, us girls aren't _that_ bad," Peyton added.

"Trust me, baby, when you, Brooke, and Haley get together it can become really overwhelming for just one guy," Jake confessed.

"So you and Lucas expect to be able to remain _macho_ with two of you when there are still three of us?" Haley teased.

"Please, Hales, Lucas and I aren't that dense, we obviously have a third guy coming to even the score a bit," Jake countered.

"Really, who?" She inquired.

"Nathan," Jake simply stated. Upon hearing that name, Haley froze. Along with Brooke, Lucas, Peyton, and Jake, she was once close friends with Nathan Scott. That is, until they had a falling out just after senior year. They hadn't spoken since and no one in their group of friends knows what happened, to this day. Nowadays, no one really mentions Nathan around Haley, the last she heard he was some big shot NBA star playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Thankfully, Los Angeles was a big enough city that she was lucky enough to not see him. Apparently, that luck was about to come to an end though, and the only thing on Haley's mind was why hadn't Brooke told her.

"Hales?" Peyton whispered.

Snapping out of thoughts, Haley responded quietly. "Yeah?"

"You alright?" Peyton asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Haley quickly responded.

"Come on Haley, we know you well enough to know you're not okay," Jake murmured.

"What do you want me to say then?" She answered.

"You could start by telling us exactly what happened between you and Nathan," Peyton suggested. At Peyton's words, Haley winced, neither Jake nor Peyton knowing if it was from the name, the memories of what happened, or maybe a bit of both.

It was both. At Peyton's suggestion, Haley was immediately transported back to a place she did not want to be; Tree Hill, the end of senior year and the summer that followed it. Those months are just a series of painful memories for her, memories she prefers to block out, along with the person responsible for the pain. "I can't, it hurts too much," Haley whispered with tears in her eyes.

Peyton didn't back down. "Haley, sooner or later you're going to have to tell us what happened, maybe now would be good since you'll be facing him in a matter of hours."

"I don't want to talk about him. As far as I'm concerned Nathan Scott doesn't exist," Haley barked.

Peyton put her hands up in surrender. "Okay, fine, you win. You're gonna tell us eventually though, Hales."

Haley sighed; she knew it wasn't fair to still be shutting her friends out after seven years, she just couldn't build up the courage to revisit the painful past long enough to explain to everyone what exactly happened. Peyton was right though, eventually she was going to have to tell everyone, she just prayed that day didn't come soon.

"So, you ladies prepared to deal with bridezilla Brooke?" Jake joked, breaking Haley from her thoughts.

"Not even close," she half-heartedly replied.

"I second that," Peyton added.

Jake laughed and conversation continued throughout the rest of the flight. Both Jake and Peyton aware that this quiet Haley James was a different girl from the bright, happy one they boarded the flight with, all because of the mention of a name and the thoughts that followed.

* * *

The trio's plane finally landed at _La Guardia _after a long, five hour flight. They unloaded from the plane with the rest of the passengers and headed straight to baggage claim. After about ten minutes, Haley, Jake, and Peyton all had their bags and were on the lookout for a bubbly brunette.

"HALEY!" Haley immediately recognized the squeal as her best friend and turned around to see Brooke Davis running to her. Haley quickly dropped her bags and began running to her friend as well. The two girls soon collided in a bone crushing hug.

"I missed you so much," Haley mumbled into Brooke's shoulder.

"Me too," Brooke replied.

"Oh, I suppose I'm chopped liver then?" Peyton joked.

"Get in here P. Jagielski!" Brooke laughed.

As the three girls continued to hug, Jake spoke up. "Hate to break up the love fest ladies but people are staring." They pulled apart; both Haley and Brooke had tears of joy streaming down their faces, with Peyton struggling to keep hers at bay.

"Hi Jake!" Brooke said.

"Hello Brookie," Jake responded while pulling the girl into a short hug.

"Well, shall we get out of here then?" Jake questioned. The three girls nodded in agreement and the four friends made their way to the exit of the airport.

"Just FYI, there's paparazzi outside Hales," Brooke informed her. Haley didn't really mind right now, she was too happy about finally being reunited with Brooke to care. She put on her black _Ray Bans, _smiled, and let the paparazzi get their picture.

Making it to their car, Jake loaded all the luggage into the trunk and they headed back to Brooke and Lucas' penthouse suite.

Upon arriving at the apartment building, Jake unloaded the luggage while the girls waited off to the side.

"So, how was the flight?" Brooke asked. With a short, tense pause between Peyton and Haley, Peyton responded.

"It was good, really nice to catch up with Hales," she lied. Haley remained silent and Brooke gave her a questioning look, but was interrupted by Jake before she could say anything.

"Okay ladies, your bags are here, can we please go inside, it's freezing out here."

Brooke scoffed. "Jake, it's like fifty degrees, do you know how warm that is for New York in February?"

"Hate to break it to you Brooke, but fifty degrees is nowhere near warm," Jake countered. Brooke rolled her eyes and led her friends into her building and to the elevator.

"Is Lucas home?" Haley inquired on the way up.

"He wasn't when I left, but he should be now," Brooke answered.

"Great!" Haley was excited, she hadn't seen Lucas in months, and she really just needed him to assure her that she could face Nathan and make it out unscathed. Another thought quickly struck Haley, what if Nathan was already at the apartment? She wasn't prepared to see him yet, she needed more time. The elevator dinged, signalling they were at their floor. With slightly trembling hands, Haley picked up her bags and braced herself for what might be to come.

* * *

The elevator doors opened to a short hallway with a door at the end, which opened into quiet, large apartment. Haley breathed a sigh of relief, no way was Nathan here if it's _this _quiet.

"Lucas!" Brooke called. The only reply was the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the group. A tall blue-eyed blond came into view, much like what she did with Brooke; Haley dropped her bags and jumped into Lucas' open arms. Laughing, Lucas picked up his best friend and spun her around.

"God, I missed you so much buddy," he told her.

"Same here Luke. Promise me we'll never go that long without seeing each other again," Haley replied.

"I promise." Lucas let Haley go and greeted Peyton with a hug and Jake with a fist bump and man hug. The five reunited friends headed into the den to catch up with each other some more.

"So Hales, have you managed to write any more Grammy winning songs?" Lucas asked.

"You bet she has!" Peyton answered for her. Haley laughed and shrugged.

"We'll see," she joked. "Enough about me though, you two are engaged! Tell us how Luke proposed!" she continued.

"Well," Brooke began. "You guys obviously know it was Valentine's yesterday. So to celebrate, we planned to go out for dinner. When I was done getting ready– "

"After about five hours," Lucas interrupted.

"Oh be quiet, I looked hot," Brooke returned. "Anyway, after I was ready, Luke told me we weren't going to an actual restaurant. He made me wear a blind fold and carried me up to the roof. When we got up there, I took off the blind fold and there was a table in front of us, with a waiter in a tux waiting to take our order. We sat down and ordered some wine and the waiter left then came back with the wine and we ordered our dinner. I was about to take a sip of wine, but then I noticed that there was something in the glass. I was disgusted, but then I actually looked at what it was, and it was a ring. I looked up at Luke and he was smiling all big, he grabbed the glass from me, took out the ring, stood up then got down on one knee in front of me and asked me to marry him," Brooke recounted.

"She of course said yes," Lucas smiled. Brooke turned to Lucas and kissed him lightly on the cheek. Everyone could tell that they were both overjoyed.

"And look at the rock!" Peyton shouted. Brooke smiled, it wasn't a huge diamond, but it was more than big enough.

"Anyway, does anyone want a drink?" Brooke asked while standing up. The other four all answered with a yes and Brooke turned to Haley.

"Wanna help me, Hales?"

"Yeah, sure," she responded and followed Brooke to the kitchen.

Once they were out of earshot from the rest of the group, Brooke turned to Haley. "Okay, what's wrong Tutor Girl, you and Peyton got totally awkward when I asked about the flight.

"Nothing's wrong, the flight was fine, I'm just tired," Haley explained.

"Are you forgetting I know when you're lying?" Brooke countered. Haley sighed, she didn't really want to get into it right now, but it looks like she was going to have to.

"Why didn't you tell me on the phone that Nathan was coming here too?" She demanded. Brooke froze; she was not expecting that one.

"I didn't think it would matter," she offered.

"Well it does matter, out of everyone, you should know the most how much it matters," Haley scolded. Brooke looked at her with guilt. Haley was right, no one but her and Haley knew it, but Brooke was the only one in the group of friends that knew everything that happened between Nathan and Haley.

"I'm so sorry, Hales," Brooke replied with tears in her eyes. "It's just that Lucas didn't really ask if it was okay, he just told me he was inviting Nathan. I couldn't do anything," she cried.

Haley felt bad now. She snapped on her best friend for something she had no control over. "It's okay, Brooke. You just have to help me get through seeing him," she said while hugging her friend.

"I promise that I will, I'll even be a huge bitch to him," she swore.

Haley laughed at her friend's antics. "Thank you Brooke, I don't know what I would do without you."

"You're welcome. Now we should probably get those drinks shouldn't we?" Brooke replied.

"That's a good idea," Haley smiled.

Shortly after their kitchen conversation, the two girls walked back into the den with their friends' refreshments.

"What took you so long?" Lucas asked as Haley handed him his beer.

"Oh, you know, just some girl talk," Brooke answered while avoiding his eyes.

"Oh, okay. We were just talking about Nathan, his flight is supposed to land in a few hours and I've got to pick him up," Lucas continued. Haley froze once again at the mention of him. Shaking off her worries, she looked up and saw Brooke and Peyton looking at her with concern. She gave them a look to convey that she would be fine and tuned back into what Lucas was saying. To her disappointment, the topic of discussion was still _him_, but Brooke managed to bring up basketball, a sure fire way for them to drop talking about Nathan. Brooke stood up, knowing the boys would talk about sports for hours.

"Come on girls, to the kitchen for some more girl talk." Haley and Peyton both stood and followed Brooke, Lucas and Jake completely oblivious of them leaving.

* * *

In the kitchen, unfortunately for Haley, Peyton still wanted to talk about Nathan Scott. "Are you gonna be okay when he gets here?" she inquired. Haley sighed; she _really_ did not want to talk about him.

"Yes, I'll be alright. Now can we not talk about him anymore?" she pleaded. Brooke nodded and started to change the subject when Peyton interjected.

"Oh no, I let it go on the plane, Nathan's going to be here in a matter of hours. It's only fair that you tell us what went down between the two of you before he gets here. We need time to develop a plan of action." Brooke disagreed with her friend but remained silent, hoping Haley would stand up for herself and refuse.

"Peyton, I'll tell you what happened when I'm ready to. Right now, I'm not ready to talk about it so can you please stop trying to force me into telling you," Haley bit out. Brooke smiled, proud of her friend for sticking up for herself.

"What are you so happy about? Do you not want to know what happened between Nathan and Haley?" Peyton demanded. Brooke wiped the smile from her face; she was at a complete loss for what to say. Peyton would surely be upset to discover that Haley had told Brooke what happened and not her. Brooke's silence was enough to reveal to Peyton exactly why she wasn't curious though.

"You already know don't you?" Peyton stated, shocked. Brooke nodded her head meekly. Peyton turned to Haley, the hurt visible in her eyes.

"Why couldn't you tell me then?" she asked quietly.

"Peyton, I," Haley started. "I was a mess after everything happened. I wouldn't come out my room to even eat. My mom called Brooke because she was worried about me; you and Jake were out of town visiting your dad. So, Brooke came over and asked me to tell her what happened and I broke down. I needed to tell _someone_. After I told Brooke, I made her swear not tell anyone because I didn't want people, even my closest friends to ask me questions or look at me with pity," she explained tearfully. Peyton remained silent, as if thinking if the explanation was good enough.

"Okay," she finally said.

"Okay?" Haley repeated, surprised.

"Yeah, I understand that after telling someone you didn't want to have to re-live it _again_. I'll back off, but you _will_ tell me before we go back to LA," she conceded.

"Thanks, Peyt," Haley murmured while hugging the taller girl. As they pulled out of their embrace, a knock on the door resonated through the apartment.

"I'll be right back," Brooke told her friends. Before she took a step, Haley stopped her.

"Brooke, you stay here, I'll get it." Brooke nodded and Haley walked down the hallway to the foyer. The person on the other side of the door was still rapping on it. _Impatient much?_ Haley thought to herself. She finally reached the door, unlocked and twisted the handle. She was met by a moderately tall, tan brunette that was smiling excitedly, and a man. The same man who she, Brooke, and Peyton had been discussing minutes earlier.

Haley looked up at him. She stared into his deep, blue eyes and got lost in memories of the times those eyes were filled with every emotion imaginable. Now though, those same eyes were filled with nothing. They were stone cold, staring at her. Haley's throat went dry, finally realizing that he was actually standing in front of her. _Well, him and some random bar slut,_ she thought.

"Are you going to let us in?" he asked impatiently. Only then did Haley realize that she hadn't said a word in a good two minutes. She remained silent, but opened the door wider, allowing them to enter.

Haley barely noticed Brooke, Peyton, Lucas, and Jake walk into the room and begin greeting him and who she assumed to be his latest girlfriend. She remained still, beside the now closed door, attempting to figure out how to act at least civil around him during the day, and not let the memories haunt her during the night. Haley quickly realized neither was likely to happen. She was in for a whole lot of pain her entire stay in New York, only minutes after his arrival and she already wanted to break down at the mere sight of him. Apparently, even seven years time isn't enough to heal a broken heart.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing.

AN: Just in case it comes off confusing, the beginning of that chapter takes place at kinda at the same time as the first chapter. Then obviously, when Nathan and Alex get to Brooke and Lucas', the two chapters have reached the same time. Hopefully that makes sense?

Also, thanks to everyone who reviewed and added the story to their alerts or favourites!  
Anyway, enjoy! Feedback is appreciated. :)

* * *

Chapter 2

Nathan Scott awoke and saw that his girlfriend of six months, Alex Dupre, was still asleep. He smirked, remembering the night before, he wouldn't be surprised if she slept all day with the amount of times they went at it. He got out of his bed and slipped on his boxers and a pair of basketball shorts. Making his way to the kitchen, he noticed that his phone was vibrating, signalling an incoming phone call.

"Hello," he answered.

"Hey little brother," the person replied.

"Oh, hey Luke, what's up?" Nathan asked.

"Not much just called to tell you that I got engaged last night," Lucas revealed. Nathan's jaw dropped, there's no way his brother just told him he got engaged. It's not like he was surprised, Brooke and Lucas had been dating for ages, it was about time. Lucas said it so casually though, he had to be hearing things.

"Sorry, can you repeat that, I think I heard wrong," Nathan told him.

"You heard right Nate, I proposed to Brooke last night!" Lucas repeated, this time with more excitement.

"Congratulations man, tell Brooke I'm really happy for you guys," Nathan congratulated.

"Thanks, and I will. I wanted to know if maybe you wanted to come up here today to celebrate, Jake's getting on a flight at 3 your time, so how about it?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, for sure man! I just gotta book a flight," Nathan responded.

"Actually, I already booked a flight for you. First class, leaves at 8 your time, so you'll get here at around 10 New York time," Lucas said. Nathan laughed. He wasn't surprised that his brother already booked him a flight. They hadn't seen each other in a few months; Nathan would have done the exact same thing.

"I guess I should get to packing then, shouldn't I?" Nathan joked.

"Yes you should! I'll be at the airport to pick you up. See ya in a bit little brother," Lucas informed him.

"Okay, bye Luke," Nathan replied. Nathan hung up the phone and started to walk back to his bedroom to pack. He saw that Alex was just waking up and sat on the bed, waiting for her to open her eyes.

"Good morning," he said when she finally looked at him.

"Morning," she responded in a sleep-filled voice.

"So guess what," Nathan smiled.

"What?"

"Lucas got engaged last night, I'm supposed to get on a flight later today to go celebrate with him and another friend," Nathan revealed.

"Well that'll be fun," Alex pouted slightly.

"Did I mention that you're coming with me?" Nathan said, still smiling.

"How am I going to go with you if you already have a flight booked?" Alex questioned.

"Well, since I _am_ the star of my basketball team, I'm out with a slight knee injury, and our team doesn't have a game for a few days, I'm gonna ask coach if I can use the team's plane instead," Nathan explained.

"You're pretty damn smart, Nathan Scott," Alex said before kissing him quickly.

"I know," Nathan replied confidently. "Why don't you go home and pack now, I'll call you before I leave to pick you up," he suggested.

"Sounds good," Alex responded. She got off the bed and put her clothes from the night before back on, kissed Nathan once more and left to pack for their trip.

* * *

It was about half past three after Nathan finished showering and packing enough clothes to last him for a week in New York. He phoned Alex as promised and left his house to pick her up.

On the way to Alex's house, Nathan realized that if Jake was flying into New York today, chances are that he'd bring Peyton. They went everywhere together, after all. Knowing Brooke as well as he did, she probably invited Peyton up there to start wedding planning before Lucas even thought to celebrate with his boys, which meant that Brooke's first phone call was probably to _her._ They're still best friends, last time he had checked at least. _Just great,_ he thought. It was supposed to be a nice trip to see his friends and introduce his girlfriend; if she was there it would be anything but nice.

He knew that she lived in LA too; saw pictures of her around the city on _TMZ _and all the other celebrity stalking shows like that. He had been lucky enough to not see her when he was out. Apparently that luck was about to change though, because here he was, on his way to pick up his girlfriend so they could fly out to see his old friends, _all of them._

Nathan was miserable now. The last thing he wanted was to have to see her. Surely, _she's_ over everything that happened. _Maybe if one if us is over it, it won't be as bad,_ he thought. Nathan was definitely not over everything that happened though. How could someone get over _everything_ that transpired between the two of them? They were _best_ friends, turned lovers, and then just like that, they were no longer speaking. _Seven years of silence from her and I'm a big enough wimp to not be over it,_ he thought bitterly.

Pulling up to Alex's house, Nathan pushed away thoughts of Haley James and got out to help his girlfriend with her bags.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"All set!" she answered excitedly. Nathan laughed, she was awfully happy.

"What are you so cheerful about?" he questioned with a slight smile.

"I'm just excited to get to meet your brother and friends," she told him.

"They'll love you, I know it," he laughed. Nathan grabbed Alex's bags and placed them in the trunk of his car while she got in. He sat back in the driver's seat and put the car in drive, heading for the hangar that the Lakers kept the team jet in.

When they arrived at the jet, it was just after 4 o'clock. Alex and Nathan took their seats and waited for takeoff. Both were nervous about the trip. Alex, from the prospect of meeting people that obviously meant a great deal to her boyfriend, and Nathan from the knowledge that the ex love of his life would more than likely be there as well, staying in the same apartment as him. The jet started moving and its occupants were shaken from their worries. They gave each other what they thought were genuine smiles, sat back and prayed that the trip would go smoothly.

Shortly after taking off, Alex fell asleep, leaving Nathan alone with his thoughts once again. Memory after memory of his time with Haley came rushing into his mind, shutting them out was futile, yet he tried anyway. He found himself smiling at some of the things he remembered; they really had some great times. Eventually, his happy memories turned into the painful ones, the events that took place at the end of senior year and that summer. At least, as far as he knew, no one in their group of friends knew what happened between them. They told their friends it was just for the best to break up and didn't speak of it again. If his friends had known what truly happened, Lucas surely would never have invited him up there, especially for this little reunion they were apparently having.

After beating himself up over 7 year old events, Nathan resolved that he needed to act as though he was completely over Haley and what happened, even if that meant acting like a heartless, stone cold bastard. Nathan sighed; this was going to be the longest trip of his life.

* * *

The jet landed in New York City shortly after 6 o'clock. The time change was confusing to Nathan when he first heard the time, but he quickly started to understand that he was now three hours ahead of LA. Nathan grabbed his and Alex's bags and headed to the front entrance of the airport. Not thinking to call a car service, he hailed the first cab he saw, eager to escape the paparazzi.

"Do you know what the address is?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I've been there a tonne of times," Nathan answered.

The cab ride to Brooke and Lucas' apartment was surprisingly short, given the amount of traffic there was. Nathan paid the driver and got his and Alex's bags once again. They entered the warm apartment building and headed for the elevators. Nathan pressed the button for the top floor and waited for the doors to close.

"Nervous yet?" Nathan asked with a smile.

"You have no idea," Alex responded. Nathan laughed and fell silent.

Soon after, the elevator dinged; signally they had made it their desired floor. The duo exited, bags in hand and walked to the door. Nathan knocked once, but when no one immediately answered he continued to knock. Finally, the door opened to reveal a petite woman with long blond hair. It was _her._ He watched as she examined Alex, she then turned her eyes on him. He stared into to her brown eyes that were swirling with hurt, trying his hardest to gaze at her coldly. They continued to stare at each other, but he noticed that Alex was becoming slightly concerned about their staring contest. _Be an ass_, Nathan told himself.

"Are you going to let us in?" he asked._ Wow, I said it even assier than I thought I could, _he thought. After saying it though, Nathan felt horrible. She couldn't even reply to him, and it broke his heart all over again. She just opened the door wider and stepped aside.

Nathan didn't have much time to think about it though, Lucas, Jake, Brooke, and Peyton all walked into the room. All of them were smiling and greeting him happily, except Brooke. He noticed that Brooke was a little bitchy to him and almost completely ignored Alex. Judging by the way she kept throwing looks to her, Brooke seemed much more concerned about Haley than with her two newest guests. He quickly came to the conclusion that Haley had told Brooke what happened. When? He had no idea, but he could also tell from the unshed tears still present in her eyes when she opened the door that Haley, Brooke, and maybe Peyton were discussing him, moments before he arrived, telling him that Haley was not even close to being over what happened between them, just like him.

* * *

The rest of the night went by quickly. After greeting everyone, the group of seven gathered in Brooke and Lucas's den and caught up with each other once more. Haley sat quietly, sandwiched between Peyton and Brooke with Brooke discreetly rubbing her back every now and then. Nathan sat next to Alex on a separate couch and only spoke when he was spoken to. Lucas and Jake were on a third couch, constantly bringing up new topics, to avoid awkwardness. To Nathan and Haley's dismay the current topic was their childhood and teenage memories. Countless different events had already been brought up, most of them actually nice to remember. Lucas was currently finishing his story of when he, Nathan, and Haley were at the Rivercourt and Nathan and Haley were fighting over some trivial matter that he couldn't remember. Haley got so mad that she ended up tackling Nathan, pushing him into the Cape Fear. Everyone in the room laughed genuinely, excluding Nathan, Haley, and Brooke. Alex turned to Haley while still laughing.

"I admire you so much. Winning a fight against the _great Nathan Scott _is quite impressive," she joked. Haley attempted to laugh, but failed miserably.

"Yeah, well, we all have our talents, mine just happened to be getting Nathan to eventually acknowledge that I was always right."

"Ah, the only necessary foundation in any relationship," Alex said, winking at the girls. "But judging from all these funny stories, you guys were always just friends weren't you?" she continued. Haley didn't even blink at the question. She glanced hard at Nathan for a moment and then turned back to Alex.

"Yep, we were always just friends. Nathan and I dating would have ended in disaster," Haley attempted to joke, her eyes on Nathan as she finished her sentence.

Haley stood up quickly, "Well, I'm off to bed, Brooke do you think you could show me where my room is, I don't really remember," she said. Brooke jumped up and ushered Haley out of the room.

"I'm actually pretty beat too, would you mind showing me and Alex where we're staying, Luke?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, sure," Lucas responded. Nathan and Alex grabbed their bags and followed Lucas to their room for the night. Peyton and Jake already knew where their room was and assumed Lucas and Brooke would be going to bed as well, so they headed into their room and went to sleep.

* * *

Haley sat down on her bed, aware that Brooke was watching her like a hawk; she put a smile on her face.

"Oh, come on Haley, don't you dare fake smile me," Brooke scolded. Immediately, the smile disappeared and Haley glanced up at her best friend.

"How am I gonna get through this?" she asked desperately. Brooke pulled Haley up and enveloped her in a hug.

"Graciously and courageously, the same way you always do. I'm gonna be at your side every step of the way, sweetie. You're not alone in this, okay?" she assured.

"Okay, thank you Brooke."

"It's what I'm here for," she stated. Haley and Brooke stood silent in the bedroom, still hugging, until Haley spoke up again.

"Brooke?" she asked.

"Yeah, honey?"

"I r-really don't w-wanna be alone tonight. D-do you think y-you could stay with me?" Haley stuttered. Brooke finally realized that her shoulder was not just cold as she had previously thought, but that her friend was in fact crying, she was quick to respond.

"Of course, let me just go tell Lucas that's where I'll be," she replied. Brooke left the room and returned five minutes later, in pyjamas. Haley was lying on the bed on her back, tears still streaming down her face.

"Why does it still hurt this much to think about everything that happened?" she whispered. Brooke hurried over to the hurting girl. She picked her up and helped her change into pyjamas. The two girls lay down side by side on the bed, Brooke consoling her closest friend the rest of the night.

* * *

In a separate bedroom, Nathan Scott lay wide awake next to his sleeping girlfriend. _Nathan and I dating would have ended in disaster._ Her words kept playing over through his mind. He knew she was beyond hurt, hell the way she directed those words at him painfully, he would not be surprised if she was in her room balling right now. That's what he felt like doing, but what would he say if Alex woke up and saw him crying like a baby, over another girl to boot. All he could do was stare at the ceiling, because he sure as hell wasn't going to be sleeping tonight after having to relive all those happy childhood memories, memories that are painful to think about now. His relationship with each one of his friends changed dramatically after he and Haley stopped talking, so much so that he knew he'd never have the opportunity to create new memories with each of them the same way ever again.

Laying awake still, early into the morning, Nathan came to the conclusion that he desperately wanted to go back in time and act differently. The seven years he spent without Haley were empty, compared to his childhood years that were filled to the brim with joy and happiness. He knew he needed Haley in his life and _he_ made her hate him, as much as he wanted to, there's no changing that, now he was suffering the consequences: an empty, Haley-less life. After hours of controlling himself, Nathan finally let the tears spill over, crying for the loss of the one girl he ever truly loved.


	3. Chapter 3

Here you go guys!  
Once again, thanks to everyone that reviewed, alerted or favourited!

* * *

Chapter 3

_A twelve year old Haley James ran quickly towards a large tree, Nathan Scott running beside her. They were currently involved in an intense game of manhunt with their four other best friends._

_"Hales, over here! That tree is way too obvious," he said while pointing to a more discreet bush._

_The two friends ran over to the bush and hid behind it, silence falling over them._

_"You'll never guess what Brooke told me," Haley stated moments later, breaking the silence._

_"What did she tell you?" Nathan asked._

_"Her and Lucas kissed last week!" she revealed._

_Nathan scrunched up his face. "Why would anyone wanna do that?"_

_Haley shrugged. "Maybe it's fun," she suggested._

_Nathan nodded in acknowledgement. "I guess we'll find out when we have our first kisses."_

_Haley nodded as well, silence once again falling over them._

_Nathan sighed moments later. Haley looked at him questioningly. "Now that Lucas has had his first kiss, he's gonna make fun of me for not having mine yet," he explained._

_Haley smiled sympathetically. "You'll just have to find the lucky girl faster then," she joked._

_"Or," Nathan began, "You could be the lucky girl," he hinted._

_"I probably wouldn't be any good at it."_

_"Neither would I. Come on Hales, you're me best friend, please" he pleaded._

_"Okay."_

_The two friends began to lean into one another. With their eyes closed, they bumped noses gently. Both pulled away slightly, but leaned back in again moments later, their lips finally touching. They pulled away moments later and smiled shyly at each other before again going silent. Seconds later, the pair heard footsteps quickly approaching. Nathan grabbed Haley's hand, pulled her up and began to run from whichever friend that was after them. Nathan and Haley were both too caught up in their game to take much notice of the sparks they felt upon their hands connecting._

Haley shot up in her bed. Only the first night here and memories of her childhood with Nathan were already haunting her. Knowing she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, Haley quietly rose from her bed and left the room, careful to not disturb Brooke. She headed for the family room to watch TV until the rest of her friends awoke.

* * *

It was 6 in the morning and Nathan still hadn't slept. He was beyond exhausted, but couldn't seem to bring himself to close his eyes and sleep. He was afraid to close his eyes. He knew all that he would see is the pained, tear stained face of an eighteen year old Haley on the day their friendship ended for good. Right now, Nathan just couldn't deal with that, he really did not want to break down like a baby twice in one day.

So, instead of lying in bed doing nothing, Nathan decided to get up and watch some TV while waiting for everyone to wake up. He slowly got off the bed, not wanting to disturb Alex and quietly open the bedroom door. He closed it behind him softly and started walking to the family room. While walking, he could hear the sounds of the television already. He sped up slightly, anxious to see who else was awake this early.

When he reached the family room, Nathan saw Haley sitting on a couch, channel surfing aimlessly. He stopped in the doorway and started to turn around, when her hoarse voice broke the silence between them.

"You don't have to leave if you don't want to, I could care less," Nathan was surprised, he thought for sure she'd stick with the bitch defence mechanism and say something hurtful again.

"I don't wanna hurt you more than I already have," he whispered.

Haley scoffed. "I'm a big girl Nathan. Being in the same damn room as you isn't going to destroy me."

"By the looks of how swollen your eyes are, I'd say being in the same room as me sure as hell did some damage last night," he retorted.

"Oh, and I suppose you're a man so you weren't at all affected by seeing me again after what happened?" she assumed.

"Actually, yes. I mean, come on, we were eighteen years old, and I was a guy, the only part of our relationship I actually enjoyed was the sex, the rest was just an act," Nathan told her, emotionless.

"You're a disgusting person," Haley hissed.

"At least I haven't been holding onto the past, like you, Hales," he shrugged.

"Don't call me that," Haley responded, clearly angry.

"Why not, _Hales?_ The memories of me calling you by a nickname hurts _that_ much?" he taunted.

"Why do you have be _such_ an ass? You already broke my heart, what more do you want?" she asked desperately.

Nathan sighed and was silent for a moment. "Fine," he said. "I loved you so much, Haley. Things changed though, you gotta move on," he told her.

"Well, obviously you didn't love me nearly enough, Nathan," Haley whispered defeated before turning and walking back to her room.

Nathan sighed dejectedly. The first conversation they have after seven years and he ends up acting like a complete idiot, lying to her about his feelings and making her resort to walking out. That's not how he was supposed to get onto civil terms with her, not even close. With that in mind, Nathan followed the path Haley took and knocked on her bedroom door, prepared to apologize for his assy behaviour. Haley opened the door with tears in her eyes. He could just make out the form of Brooke Davis sleeping on the bed and motioned for Haley to speak with him in the hallway. He could see the reluctance in her eyes, but she stepped into the hall and closed her bedroom door anyway.

"What?" she asked, voice strong again.

"Look Haley, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being an ass just now and last night, and for everything I did seven years ago, I think about how badly I screwed up every day. Please forgive me," he begged, his blue eyes boring into her.

"Sorry isn't going to change anything Nathan, and after seven years it's too late for apologies," she revealed.

"I-I understand," he stuttered. Nathan began to back away from Haley, tears pooling in his eyes. He wasn't lying to her. He was sorry, but he also understood why she couldn't forgive him. She was right; he broke her heart, probably more than once during those painful months of senior year.

* * *

As she watched Nathan walk away, Haley turned and once again entered her bedroom, the tears still present in her eyes. She saw her best friend sitting up in bed; she had clearly been trying to listen to her conversation with Nathan.

Brooke stood up and hugged Haley. "What happened?"

"We fought in the family room, I walked away, he came to apologize for everything and I told him it was too late for that," Haley recounted slowly.

"He apologized for _everything?_" Brooke asked, shocked. Haley merely nodded in response before letting out a sob.

"I can't forgive him Brooke. He broke my heart," she cried.

"I know, sweetie," Brooke said soothingly. As Brooke and Haley stood hugging, another knock sounded on the bedroom door. Afraid it would be Nathan again, Haley looked to Brooke, conveying her fears.

"I got it," she whispered. Brooke cracked the door open slightly and was met by a tall, skinny, blond. Wiping the sleep out of her eyes, Brooke greeted the other woman.

"Hey Peyt, what's up?"

"Oh, hey Brooke. I didn't know you were in here," Peyton spoke curiously.

"Yeah, I stayed in here last night, Haley didn't wanna be alone," she supplied.

"Makes sense, can I come in?" Peyton asked. Brooke opened the door wider and Peyton stepped inside the room. After she closed the door again, Brooke sat on the bed beside Haley and looked questioningly at Peyton.

"You never answered my question, what's going on, it's only like 6," Brooke inquired.

"I thought I heard people yelling and then I'm positive I heard people talking in the hallway, so I came to see what it was," Peyton answered.

"Oh, that. Yeah, uh, Hales you wanna explain?" Brooke stammered.

"I had a fight with Nathan," she explained.

Peyton's eyes bulged in surprise. "What exactly happened?" Haley repeated the same events, this time including more details, to her other friend.

"Whoa," Peyton responded. "Even though I still don't know what happened, him apologizing is huge." Brooke glared at the taller girl, silently telling her to back off the whole not knowing what happened issue.

"Yeah," Haley acknowledged. Nathan apologizing was a big deal, but like she told him, it was too late, seven years too late.

"Well, now that we're all up, why don't we go make something to eat?" Brooke suggested. Peyton and Haley nodded and followed Brooke to the kitchen.

* * *

After walking away from Haley, Nathan decided it would be safer to hide out in his bedroom until Lucas or Jake woke up. Once again, he quietly cracked open the door and slipped into the room. Upon entering, he realized his quietness was unnecessary, Alex was already awake.

"Hey, what are you doing up so early?" he smiled.

"I could ask you the same thing," she joked.

"I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so I went to watch some TV, what about you?" he lied.

"I heard noise, probably the TV and I was about to go look for you after I noticed that you were gone," Alex supplied.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I had the TV that loud," he lied again. "Now that you're up though, how about we go get some breakfast," he suggested.

"That sounds awesome!" she said excitedly. Nathan smiled and pulled Alex up off the bed, the pair exiting their bedroom, still hand in hand.

When the two entered the kitchen, they were met with glares from Peyton and Brooke and a silent stare from Haley. Nathan watched as Haley turned her back on him to flip a couple pancakes and Peyton went back to cooking bacon, Brooke however, was still glaring at him. Before he knew what was happening, Brooke had marched right up to him, raised her hand, and slapped him hard across the face.

"Stay the fuck away from my best friend," she snarled.

Alex immediately jumped to Nathan's defence. "Hey! You have no right to go around slapping my boyfriend for no reason!" she yelled. Brooke and Peyton apparently found something quite funny, because they both burst into laughter at Alex's remark.

"Oh honey, I can slap whomever I damn well please in this house, especially your jackass of a boyfriend," Brooke sneered.

"You're delusional, bitch. Nathan hasn't done anything to you!" Alex defended.

"By fucking with my _best friend_, he's actually done quite a bit to me," she corrected.

"And what exactly could he have done to you that is _so _bad?" Alex asked, looking at Peyton.

"Wrong best friend, sweetie," Peyton spoke in a patronizing tone.

Alex turned and glared at Haley, who was now watching the scene from the other side of the room. "Okay, then what did he do to _you_ that deserves a slap in the face from _that_ bitch," she pointed to Brooke.

Haley turned her gaze to Nathan. "It's not for me to tell. If your boyfriend wants to disclose to you how much of an asshole he is, he can," Haley responded.

Alex turned back to Nathan. "Well? What exactly did you do?" she questioned.

Nathan sighed and looked to Haley. She met his eyes with an intense stare. He wasn't about to tell his girlfriend how he broke his ex-girlfriends heart, right in front of said ex. "Haley and I dated in high school, it didn't end well," Nathan explained vaguely.

"So? You guys broke up, what's the big deal?" she continued, confused.

"Go on Natey, tell her how badly you screwed up with the love of your life," Brooke goaded.

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?" he exploded. At that moment, Lucas and Jake came running into the kitchen.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Lucas asked, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Just trying to show Nathan's true colours to his girlfriend," Brooke replied innocently.

"What are you talking about, babe?" he responded.

"I for one think that this girl - no matter how much of a whore she is – deserves to know that her supposed knight in shining armour is actually a complete ass." she stated. Haley stepped forward and grabbed Brooke's shoulder, pulling her back gently.

"Brooke, its fine. It was seven years ago, Nathan and I both made huge mistakes that combined to end our relationship. He's clearly moved on and so have I. As much as it hurt to get my heart broken, even he doesn't deserve to be treated this terribly," she reasoned. Brooke stared into Haley's brown eyes, she knew Haley had not gotten over the events that transpired, but Haley being the amazing woman she was, was sticking up for the man that destroyed her. Brooke's eyes welled up at the thought.

"I love you so much, Hales," Brooke told the other woman as they embraced.

Haley smiled. "I love you too, Tigger."

"How sweet," Alex said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You're lucky I don't kick your ass to the curb, bitch," Brooke retorted.

"You don't scare me," Alex returned, stepping towards Brooke.

"Oh yeah?" Brooke laughed cynically, stepping forward as well.

"Okay, that's enough ladies," Jake intervened.

"Thanks Jake," Nathan said while pulling Alex closer to him. "We're gonna go and have a little chat," he added, dragging Alex away with him.

Lucas stepped up to Brooke. "Wanna explain what that was really about now?" he asked.

Brooke blew out a breathe. "Nathan and Haley got into a fight this morning and when he walked into the kitchen I just lost it. I'm not about to stand by and watch him continue to hurt her," she explained.

"So you decided to bring up stuff that happened seven years ago, that they've both moved past?" he inquired, confused.

"Do you _really_ believe she's moved past it Luke?" Brooke responded.

"I'm right here you know," Haley piped in.

Lucas turned to his long time friend. "I know I have no idea what happened between the two of you all those years ago, but are you really still not over it?" he questioned.

Haley answered in a soft, weak voice. "No, I'm not."

Lucas immediately stepped towards the blond woman. "Oh God Hales, I had no idea. I'm sorry I was too stupid to notice," he apologized.

"It's fine Luke. Until this trip, I didn't realize just how much it still affects me," Haley smiled reassuringly.

"Well, from here on out, I promise to be here to help you move forward," Lucas promised.

"I second that," Jake added.

"Me too," Peyton agreed.

"And you know, I'll always be here for you Tutor Girl," Brooke smiled.

"You know though, it'd be a lot easier to help you through this if we knew what actually happened," Peyton hinted.

"Oh for the love of God, give it a rest Peyton!" Brooke complained. Haley smiled at her friends, not even bothered by the pressure Peyton just put on her, all she cared about right now was that her friends were finally offering their support.

* * *

Nathan and Alex reached their bedroom, slamming the door shut, Nathan whipped around at Alex.

"What the hell was that?" he asked angrily.

"That bitch just walked up and slapped you, what was I supposed to do?" Alex defended.

"How about letting me handle it?" he suggested.

"By the looks of it, you were just gonna take it! That's a pretty bad job at _handling _it, Nathan" she countered.

"Yeah, I was. You know why? Because I deserve it," he informed her.

"Please. You didn't do anything wrong Nathan, who cares if you guys broke up?" Alex said.

"It's not that we broke up. I deserve to be slapped because I broke Haley's heart," Nathan explained.

"And how did you do that?" she asked.

"I'd rather not get into it. All you need to know is that I'm solely responsible for our relationship failing," he confessed solemnly.

"But Haley even said, you guys are both over it and have moved on. What gives Brooke the right to slap you, _now?"_ Alex reasoned.

"First of all, when I went to watch TV this morning, Haley was already out there and we got into a pretty big fight, that's why Brooke slapped me. Second of all, Haley was lying when she said that we were both over what happened, neither of us is," Nathan revealed.

"Oh," Alex said softly. "So, you still have feelings for her?" she asked quietly.

"No, of course not, the only person I have feelings for is you," he smiled half-heartedly.

"Good," Alex smiled and kissed him softly.

"One more question though," Alex stated.

"What's that?" he replied.

"Yesterday night, when I asked Haley if you guys ever dated, why did she say no?" she inquired.

"Probably because she doesn't like to think about that time of her life anymore, it was really painful, also because she hates me, and she probably didn't want to stir anything up within our relationship, Haley's considerate like that," Nathan resolved. "Now, can we please go back out there and apologize for fighting?" he asked her.

Alex pouted. "Yeah, I guess." The pair once again exited their room hand in hand. This time when entering the kitchen, they were met with silence.

Alex approached Brooke. "I'm sorry for attacking you. Nathan explained why you slapped him," she apologized.

"Okay," Brooke stated.

Alex smiled. "Does that mean we can still maybe be friends then?" she asked excitedly.

"Not likely honey. But I also won't give you a black eye," Brooke smiled sardonically.

"Okay then, who wants breakfast?" Jake asked, breaking up the awkwardness.

The group nodded and began piling their plates with food, the girls leaving afterwards to eat by themselves.

* * *

Later that night, Nathan lay awake once again. He got out of bed, thinking a hot cup of tea would help him fall asleep.

Nathan walked into the kitchen and over to the fridge. He opened it and took out the milk. Only when he turned back around did he notice Haley standing in the room as well.

"What are you doing up?" he asked.

"Making some tea because I couldn't sleep, you?" she explained.

"Same," he smiled.

"Well, there's enough water in the kettle for two cups," she informed him while moving to lean her back against the counter.

"Okay," he responded, and silence fell over the two.

The kettle clicked, indicating that the water was ready. Nathan and Haley fixed their tea and began drinking, silence descending upon the room once again.

"Thanks for defending me to Brooke today, you didn't have to do that," Nathan thanked, a few minutes into their silence.

Haley shrugged. "It wasn't a big deal"

"Yeah it was, I didn't deserve it. You're a really good person, Haley James," Nathan told her.

"Really Nathan, it wasn't that big a deal," she insisted.

Nathan laughed. "Still stubborn I see," he joked. "But in all seriousness, it means a lot that you stuck up for me. Especially since you lied and said the break-up was your fault too," he pointed out.

Haley looked to Nathan. "I wasn't lying, Nathan. We both know that I'm at fault too," she said.

"Is that what you really think?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"Well, yeah. I made mistakes too Nathan," she reminded him.

"Haley," he said sternly, setting his empty mug in the sink as she did as well. "If there is one thing you need to know, it's that you are in no way at fault for our break-up, it's all on me," he told her.

Haley shook her head. "Nathan, please don't beat yourself up over everything that happened," she pleaded.

Nathan looked her in the eye. "How can I not?" he whispered.

"Nathan-" Haley cut off, at a loss for words as tears began streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized for the second time that day.

Haley looked down. "I know you are," she sighed. "I should get back to bed though," she added, while turning her back on him.

"Hales, wait," Nathan said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him, crashing his lips against hers. Haley attempted pushing him away, but Nathan only wrapped his arms tighter around her and kissed harder.

Haley quickly gave up on resisting and began to lose herself in the kiss, raking her nails through his short hair. Nathan's tongue snaked out and traced the outline of her lips; she opened her mouth, granting him access. The pair continued to kiss passionately in the dimly lit kitchen, low moans being emitted, tongues battling for dominance, hands exploring. Both so caught up in the passion, they did not notice the pair of eyes, watching the scene from the shadows.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Haley quickly gave up on resisting and began to lose herself in the kiss, raking her nails through his short hair. Nathan's tongue snaked out and traced the outline of her lips; she opened her mouth, granting him access. The pair continued to kiss passionately in the dimly lit kitchen, low moans being emitted, tongues battling for dominance, hands exploring. Both so caught up in the passion, they did not notice the pair of eyes, watching the scene from the shadows._

The eyes vanished as Nathan began to speak. "God Hales, I've missed you so much," he whispered.

Haley pulled away from him abruptly and covered her mouth with her hand. She looked up at Nathan with tears in her eyes. Too shocked to say anything, she turned and bolted from the room.

"Stupid!" Nathan muttered to himself. He turned, switched off the kitchen lights and returned to his bedroom. Thankfully, he heard Alex's steady breathing, he climbed into bed next her and lay awake for the second night in a row, this time the sight of Haley's broken features after pulling away from the kiss, swirling through his mind.

Meanwhile, beside him, a wide awake Alex, with tears streaming down her face, pretended to be asleep for the remainder of the night.

Shortly after 7 in the morning, Nathan opened his eyes. _I must have dozed off for a bit,_ he thought. He looked to the foot of the bed and saw Alex, walking repeatedly from the closet to her suitcase, filling it with all her clothes. He leapt out of bed and approached her.

"Baby, what are you doing?" he asked.

Alex looked at him with hate. "You're a no good, cheating, lying bastard," she seethed.

Nathan stumbled back, shocked. "W-What are you talking about?" he asked.

"Cut the shit Nathan. I saw you in the kitchen last night, making out with Haley!" she screamed. "Do you remember what you told me yesterday? You said you had _no_ feelings for her," she continued.

"So, where are you going then?" Nathan asked quietly.

"Back to LA," she answered curtly.

"And what about us?" Nathan questioned.

Alex looked at Nathan. "There is no _us_ anymore, Nathan," she replied.

Dropping the remainder of her things into the last suitcase, Alex grabbed the handle and moved towards the door where Nathan was standing. "Excuse me," she said.

Nathan quietly stepped to the side, knowing there was nothing he could say to fix this, he went with the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Alex looked back at him. "Yeah, well, that doesn't change anything, Nathan," she stated bitterly.

* * *

After returning to her bedroom and locking the door, Haley collapsed onto her bed in a fit of tears. She couldn't believe she let that just happen. After spending seven years without contact, Nathan Scott waltzes back into her life and she lets him make out with her the very same day. Even worse, he has a girlfriend, who happened to be sleeping right down the hall. What did that make her then? Some sort of whore? Sure, she didn't initiate the kiss, but she also didn't try very hard to end it. _ It's official, I'm some sort of home wrecker,_ she thought. Haley continued to sob uncontrollably until she fell into a deep sleep.

_"Look at him," Nathan muttered with disgust._

_"Oh, calm down buddy. He's not that bad," Brooke reasoned._

_"Yes he is! He's disgusting," Nathan continued._

_"Nathan, calm down," Peyton soothed._

_Nathan continued to watch the subject of the conversation with hatred. It was the middle sophomore year and Haley had a new boyfriend, Chris Keller. Nathan loathed Chris and really couldn't understand why such a good girl like Haley was with such an idiot._

_"I think Nathan's jealous, guys," Brooke teased._

_"I am not jealous," Nathan declared angrily._

_"Brooke's right Nate, you are acting pretty jealous," Lucas claimed._

_Nathan ignored his friends and turned his eyes back on Chris and Haley, walking towards their lunch table._

_"Hey guys," Haley greeted upon arrival._

_The occupants of the table all responded with a greeting, except Nathan, who remained glaring at Chris. Haley and Chris sat down and 'the idiot' immediately began talking music with Jake and Peyton, while Haley, Brooke, and Lucas discussed a class they had together. Nathan stood up silently and stalked off, unable to stand the sight of Chris and Haley together. Haley stared after him confused and moved to get up._

_"I'll be right back," she muttered while kissing Chris on the cheek._

_Haley soon caught up to Nathan and grabbed his arm to stop him. "What?" he sighed._

_"What's going on?" she asked._

_"Nothing, I just thought I should start heading to class, I don't wanna be late again," he explained._

_Haley rolled her eyes. "Nathan, I know you have gym next period, which means you get like ten extra minutes to change. Wanna try again?" she replied._

_"I just don't like Chris, so I left," Nathan told her._

_"Why not? He's a great guy, Nathan," Haley responded._

_"Well, he's not good enough for you," Nathan protested._

_"Chris treats me amazingly, Nathan. Now why don't you tell me why you _really_ don't like him?" she asked._

_Nathan stared at Haley silently, before finally responding. "I'm jealous," he admitted._

_"Jealous of what?" Haley asked confused._

_"Of Chris," he elaborated._

_"What do you mean?" _

_Nathan looked down and blew out a breathe before looking back up at his friend. "I have feelings for you, Haley. I have since the first time we kissed in that forest."_

_"Oh." _

_"You know what, forget I ever even said anything," Nathan told her as he began to walk away._

_"Nathan, wait!" she yelled._

_He turned around and looked at her. "I have feelings for you too," she smiled._

_"You, what?" Nathan replied shocked._

_"I only really agreed to start dating Chris because I wanted to get over my feelings for you," Haley revealed._

_Nathan smiled. "But what are you going to do about Chris then?" he asked._

_"Well, if you confessing your feelings means you want a relationship, then I guess I'm gonna have to break up with him," Haley responded._

_Nathan laughed. "Haley James, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked._

_Haley laughed as well, nodding her head. A beaming smile spread across Nathan's face. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek._

Haley shot up in her bed once again, still remembering the day her and Nathan confessed their feelings to each other. She broke up with Chris that day after school, and by the next day the whole school knew that she had dumped him and immediately started dating Nathan. Most of the girls were pissed that she had taken the hottest guy in the school off the market, but Nathan managed to get them to back off.

It was the happy memories like that one that made Haley hurt even more. Thinking about the way they ended, it was difficult to figure out how they went from a blissfully happy couple, to two broken people, ending an almost lifelong friendship in the process.

Unwilling to leave her bedroom, Haley continued to lie in bed and mourned the loss of the Nathan Scott she started her relationship with.

* * *

Nathan sat on a couch in the family room, his head in his hands. He heard footsteps and felt the couch sink as someone sat beside him but didn't bother to look up.

"Where's Alex?" Lucas asked.

"Probably half way back to LA by now," Nathan replied.

"Why'd she leave?" Lucas inquired.

"We broke up," Nathan admitted.

"What, why?" Lucas asked shocked.

"Last night, Haley and I kissed in the kitchen. Alex saw the whole thing."

"What do you mean, you and Haley kissed?"

"I mean, we were both in the kitchen late last night to make some tea. We started talking about what happened all those years ago. She turned to leave, I pulled her back and we kissed," Nathan explained.

"Define kiss," Lucas replied uneasily.

Nathan sighed. "It was more like a make out..." he trailed off.

"God, Nathan! What did you say after?" he scolded.

"Um, well, she pulled away and before I could say anything, she ran out of the room."

Lucas imitated his brother and put his head in his hands as well. "She probably hates me even more now," Nathan muttered.

Lucas patted his brother on the back. "It'll get better."

As both men sat upright again, Brooke walked into the room. "Have either of you seen Haley this morning?" she inquired.

"Probably locked in her room," Nathan mumbled.

Brooke looked at him curiously but left to check Haley's room before questioning him. She turned the door handle, only to find it locked. She knocked, but received no answer.

"Hales, open the door sweetie," she said.

Brooke heard the lock on the door click and watched it open. Haley was standing before her with a blank expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" Brooke asked. Haley remained silently looking at her friend.

"Hales?" Brooke tried again.

Haley sighed before speaking softly. "I kissed Nathan last night."

Brooke's eyes bulged. "YOU DID WHAT?" she shrieked.

Haley looked down to the floor. "I don't know. We were in the kitchen drinking tea and actually talking about what happened civilly. Then I was leaving and all of a sudden we were making out," she explained softly.

"Wait. Making out?"

"Yes, Brooke."

"Define making out," Brooke stated.

"Kissing, with tongue, groping, and occasional moans. The whole nine yards, Brooke," Haley explained impatiently.

Brooke's eyes were as wide as saucers. "So that's why Nathan looks like such a mess," she muttered to herself.

"What'd you say?" Haley asked.

"Oh, nothing. So, what did you say after you guys finished making out?" Brooke inquired.

"I kinda just ran out, I had no idea what else to do," Haley confessed.

Brooke smiled sympathetically at her friend. She knew Haley was getting in over her head, especially adding this encounter into the mix. Nathan and Haley's relationship was already complicated enough as it is. Brooke stretched her arms out and hugged the smaller girl. Despite being against him yesterday, Brooke saw how affected Nathan was by what happened and figured that what he and Haley really needed was a chance to spend some time together - with the rest of the group too - without fighting or making out. Clubbing was out of the question, alcohol is the last thing they needed. Dinner out was too formal, plus both being public figures, the media would have a field day seeing them out together. Brooke continued to brainstorm, finally finding something suitable, she squealed.

"Ow! Brooke, could you not squeal in my ear?" Haley complained.

"Sorry, Tutor Girl, but I just thought of the _best_ idea!" she smiled giddily.

"And what would that be?"

"We're gonna have a game night!" Brooke announced.

Haley groaned. "Really, Brooke? Considering what happened last night, I really do not want to have to play board games with Nathan all night," she claimed.

"That's exactly why it'll be a good thing though! It'll help you and Nathan to stop being so extreme with each other and just have some fun," Brooke explained.

Haley groaned again but didn't protest, knowing she had no say in the matter anymore. Brooke linked her arm with Haley's and dragged her into the family room where the rest of their friends were sitting. Haley locked eyes with Nathan but she quickly looked away and focused on listening to Brooke explain her idea of game night. As she finished, no one in their group of friends protested. Brooke smiled and pulled Peyton off the couch, dragging her and Haley away.

* * *

It was now around 6:30 in the evening. The group of six friends began their game night at 5. They had already finished playing Scrabble; which Haley and Lucas tied at, Clue: which Brooke won, and Trouble; which Jake won. Surprisingly, Haley was actually enjoying herself, and she and Nathan had yet to fight the entire time.

"Okay, last game of the night's gonna be a long one," Brooke announced while placing a Monopoly box on the coffee table they were currently sitting around.

"We should probably play in teams so it doesn't take _as_ long," Lucas suggested.

"Good idea, Luke," Peyton commented.

"Okay, well I'm obviously going to be with Luke, Peyton and Jake will be together, so Naley, looks like you guys are partners," Brooke declared.

Haley winced at hearing the old nickname for her and Nathan. She used to actually like it back when they were dating, now though, it was painful like every other memory.

"Ready to kick some ass, Haley?" Nathan joked.

Haley smiled and nodded while she watched Lucas start counting money for everyone.

"I guess I've been having too much fun to notice until now, but where's Alex, Nate?" Brooke inquired, unaware of the break-up.

"We, uh, broke up this morning," Nathan muttered.

Haley's head whipped around. "Why?"

Upset by the memory of the events that transpired early that morning, Nathan snapped at Haley. "Why do you think?"

Peyton and Jake, both unaware that Nathan and Haley had kissed sat watching confused, while Brooke and Lucas watched uneasily. Haley rubbed her temples upon hearing his tone. "I'm sorry, Nathan."

"Yeah, you should be," he spat.

"Excuse me?" she asked outraged by his treatment.

"It's your entire fault," he glared.

"My fault?" Haley repeated. "Last I checked _you_ were the one that kissed _me._" she yelled.

Jake and Peyton's eyes widened in shock, they never thought that Nathan and Haley would do that.

Nathan scoffed. "I know that. But it's your fault that I was even awake in the first place," he declared.

"So now I'm to blame because you couldn't stop thinking about how you behaved like an asshole seven years ago?" she shouted back.

"You're contradicting yourself now, Hales. Just last night you were saying how we were _both_ at fault for that break up!" he reminded.

"I was just trying to make you feel better, you jerk! It's obvious you're the one whose actions resulted in our relationship falling apart," Haley pointed out.

"You're such a bitch," Nathan retorted.

"At least I'm not a spineless bastard," she replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, having a good idea what she was talking about.

"You know exactly what I'm referring to," Haley remarked.

"I told you I was sorry for that, what else do you want?" he questioned, exasperated.

"I want to have never met you, my life would have been so much better," she answered.

Nathan glared at her. "I hate you so much. I never want to see you again, you ruined my life," Nathan screamed. At that, he turned and walked towards the door.

"Yeah, just walk out Nathan. You've perfected that one, haven't you?" Haley yelled bitterly.

All that replied was the slamming of the front door to the apartment. Haley made a move to leave the room but was quickly stopped. Brooke had grabbed her arm and would not let go.

"You're not going anywhere until you explain what the hell that was," she stated.

"It was a fight, Brooke," Haley stated the obvious.

Brooke rolled her eyes. "_I mean_, why you just exploded on him," she elaborated.

"Did you not hear the way he was talking to me, Brooke?" she answered.

"Hales, you said you wish you'd never met him," Lucas added quietly.

"That's the truth," Haley spoke evenly.

"No it's not," Lucas replied.

"Lucas, you don't understand, he _broke_ my heart into a million pieces. Of course I wish I had never had to meet him," she reasoned.

"Well then make me understand, Hales," Lucas suggested.

Haley remained silent and made another move to leave, Brooke only tightening her grip on the girl's arm.

"Hales," Peyton said. "Please tell us what happened between you and Nathan. It's the only way we can help," Peyton pleaded.

Haley looked to Brooke for help. The brunette rubbed her back and spoke. "Now might be a good time to explain everything. It really is the only way _all_ of us can help you and Nathan sort out your problems, and don't give me the 'I don't wanna sort out my problems with him' excuse, because we can all see you still love him, Hales," Brooke said. She ignored the confusing looks that Lucas and Jake shot her after hearing her speech and continued speaking. "I'll be right here to help you through it, honey."

Haley sighed and sat back down on the floor, Brooke comfortingly rubbing her back. "Okay, I'll tell you," she whispered softly.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, first off I'm apologizing in advance. I may not be able to update again until sometime Monday afternoon. My exams start tomorrow and right now I'm spending every spare minute studying. Bear with me guys! :$

Alright, here we go now! Just so you're not confused, beginning in this chapter, the story is going to go into a multi-chaptered flashback to seven years to reveal everything that happened to cause Nathan and Haley's break up and falling out.

Again, thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it!

* * *

Chapter 5

An eighteen year old Haley James sat in the front row of her last class of the day; Calculus. She was barely paying attention to what her teacher was saying as she gazed out the window. Haley's mind began to wander to her boyfriend, Nathan Scott. Yesterday he had taken her out for dinner to celebrate their two and half year anniversary. Their time together so far had been nothing short of amazing, they spent almost every waking moment with each other, blissfully happy. Haley couldn't help but smile while remembering the countless happy moments she had spent with Nathan. She was head over heels in love with that boy and she knew he felt the same. Haley knew she would become Mrs. Nathan Scott some point in the future, and she couldn't wait. Again, Haley smiled. She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of a voice next to her.

"Hales," Lucas, Haley's best friend whispered.

"Yeah?" she replied quietly.

"Are you and Nate coming to Brooke's tonight?"

"I think so," Haley responded.

It was tradition in their group of friends to have a Friday night movie marathon once a month. Tonight, Brooke was hosting the get together. Haley knew that Brooke hosting meant that the girls got to pick all the movies tonight. Normally, she would be ecstatic about this, but this month her mind was elsewhere. Haley's period was late, over a week late. It had never been late before and she was beginning to freak out. She knew she had to find out if she was pregnant soon, so she decided to go to the pharmacy after school and pick up a few tests. With that in mind, Haley continued to stare out the window the rest of class, her mind swirling with thoughts of what she would do if she was in fact, pregnant.

* * *

As soon as the last bell rang, Haley bolted to her locker, grabbed everything she needed and headed to her car before anyone could stop her. She drove to the nearest pharmacy, slightly panicked. Haley parked her car and walked into the aisle where the pregnancy tests were kept. Grabbing three different kinds, Haley walked to the front of the store to cash out.

"Did you find everything you were looking for today?" the cashier asked politely, glancing at Haley's purchases and giving her a sympathetic smile.

Haley nodded her head and glanced around the store uncomfortably. She paid for her purchases, grabbed the bag and began exiting the store.

"Good luck getting whatever result you're hoping for," the cashier called.

Haley smiled at the middle-aged woman and made her way back to her car. When she sat down in the driver's seat, Haley heard her phone beeping and realized she had forgotten it in the car. She grabbed it and flipped it open, seeing a missed text from Nathan. _Hey baby, didn't see you after school. Where are you?_ It read. Haley quickly typed a reply explaining that she had to use the washroom, so she left school immediately. She felt bad lying to her boyfriend, but couldn't exactly tell him she left so quickly to go buy a pregnancy test, especially over text message. Haley then started her car and began to drive home.

When she got home, Haley yelled a quick hello to her parents and ran up to her bathroom. She read the directions on the first test's box. _Simple enough,_ she thought.

After doing each test, just to be completely sure her results were accurate; Haley set them on the counter. She smiled slightly when she looked at the same result on each test. Haley wrapped each test in toilet paper to ensure no one saw them and left for her bedroom to get ready for the movie marathon.

Nathan picked her up a few hours later. "Hey, baby," he greeted while kissing her on the lips.

"Hey," Haley smiled after pulling away.

"You ready to go?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah."

Nathan and Haley walked to his car hand in hand. The pair walked to the passenger side and Nathan opened the door for his girlfriend, closing it after she was settled. He walked around to the driver's side and got in as well. Nathan started the car and began driving to Brooke's house.

"So, how was your day?" he asked on the way.

"It was pretty boring actually," Haley responded.

"So was mine. All my teachers are focusing on exams now," Nathan informed her.

Haley laughed. "Well are you at least paying attention to what you're supposed to study?"

"Why would I need to when my girlfriend will help me anyway?" he joked.

"Oh no buddy, I've got my own studying to do, you're by yourself for this one," she smiled.

Nathan gasped mockingly. "You mean you wouldn't help your big, sexy boyfriend?"

"I suppose I can help you a little," Haley giggled.

"That's more like it," he teased.

Haley laughed, enjoying the slight banter between her and Nathan. These were the moments she enjoyed the most with him, completely carefree and fun. Haley reached her hand over and laced her fingers with Nathan's. He smiled in her direction and continued to drive. Before they knew it, they had arrived at Brooke's house and exited the car. Knowing Brooke well enough, they walked right into her house and walked into her home theatre.

Brooke and Lucas were sitting on a couch laughing about something. They looked back and smiled at their two friends.

"Jake and Peyton are on their way," Brooke said.

"Sounds good," Haley responded.

Nathan and Haley walked towards another couch in the room and sat down. Nathan wrapped his arm around Haley and she cuddled into his side. He kissed the side of Haley's head lovingly as she began to speak.

"What movies are we watching tonight?"

"I've narrowed it down to four," Brooke answered.

"Which ones?"

"The Notebook, Sleepless in Seattle, Titanic, and There's something about Mary."

"Notebook and Titanic? I love me so Leo DiCaprio," Haley suggested.

"Hey!" Nathan interjected.

Haley turned to Nathan and smiled. "Don't worry baby, I love you more."

Nathan smirked and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

"Okay, enough with the PDA," Brooke interrupted. "Anyway though, I agree on The Notebook and Titanic, Tutor Girl."

Lucas and Nathan groaned. Having to sit through two chick flicks was going to be pure torture.

"Oh be quiet, both of you," Brooke declared.

"Please don't make us watch those movies, Hales," Nathan begged.

Haley laughed and ran her fingers through Nathan's hair. "I'm sure you'll live."

Nathan pouted and nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck. "Fine," he mumbled.

Awaiting the arrival of Jake and Peyton, the four friends dove into casual conversation.

* * *

After Jake and Peyton arrived, the group of friends began watching The Notebook. They were about half an hour in and Nathan was already bored to tears. He watched Haley, who was completely engulfed by the film. He started massaging her calf that was placed over his legs, and occasionally moved up her thigh as well.

Haley was well aware of Nathan massaging her legs for the past few minutes and it was getting harder and harder to ignore. She glanced at him and found him watching her intently. She smiled and leaned in to kiss him lightly on the lips.

Nathan inwardly smirked. She finally gave in and kissed him, although she started it light, he immediately deepened it. His tongue traced the outline of her lips and Haley immediately granted him access. Their tongues battled for dominance, while Nathan continued to massage Haley's legs.

Minutes later, still making out, Nathan and Haley noticed the overhead lights in the room turn on and pulled away confused.

"Finally decided to come up for air?" Brooke asked.

Haley blushed. "Can you please your woman so she'll stop annoying us, Lucas?" Nathan responded, annoyed.

"I please her just fine, thank you!" Lucas defended. "I just know there's a time and place to be practically having sex and it isn't in front of four other people."

"We were not even close to having sex!" Haley jumped in.

"If that wasn't minor foreplay, then I don't know what is," Brooke quipped.

Haley scoffed. "Whatever, can we just get back to the movie?"

"Are you and Nathan going to keep your hands off each other?"

Haley nodded and Brooke turned off the lights again and began playing the movie, Nathan and Haley behaving for the rest of the night.

* * *

Nathan and Haley arrived back at her house after movie night.

"Do you wanna come in for a while?"

"Yeah, sure."

Haley led the way into her house where her mother, Lydia greeted them.

"Hi, kids, how was movie night?"

"It was fun," Haley responded.

Lydia noticed how her daughter was acting incredibly anxious. She let it go though, knowing that she would talk to her about it if Haley felt it was necessary. Lydia smiled at the two teenagers and left the room, reminding them to be quiet if they were having sex because her and Jimmy didn't want to hear it. Haley blushed and walked up to her bedroom, Nathan following her.

As they walked into Haley's bedroom, he noticed how unusually clean it appeared. He knew then that something was going on with his girlfriend; she only cleaned excessively when something was wrong. He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Haley laughed uncomfortably. "Am I that obvious?"

"Not really, until I saw your room, that is."

Haley laughed again and moved forward to hug Nathan. He wrapped his arms tightly around her and she revelled in the safety she felt. She pulled away and began to pace back and forth across the room. Haley had no idea how to tell Nathan what she had to do today. She'd freak him out, any teenage guy would be terrified to find out their girlfriend took a pregnancy test.

"Hales?" Nathan asked softly. "Just tell me."

Haley blew out a breathe and opened her mouth to speak. "After school today, I didn't leave so quickly because I had to go to the bathroom. Well, I guess technically I had to go to the bathroom, but that wasn't the actually reason I left," she rambled.

Nathan laughed and put his hands on Haley's shoulders to calm her. "Calm down, baby. Why did you leave school so fast?"

"I had to go to the pharmacy."

"For what?" he asked concerned.

"A pregnancy test," she whispered.

Nathan's faced dropped. "Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, did you, um, take the test?"

Haley nodded in reply. "Well what did it say?" Nathan asked nervously.

Haley looked into Nathan's eyes, tears welling in her own and a faint smile on her face. "I'm pregnant."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

_Haley looked into Nathan's eyes, tears welling in her own and a faint smile on her face. "I'm pregnant."_

"You're what?" Nathan responded shocked.

"Pregnant, Nathan." Haley replied, slightly upset that he had not reacted with a hint of happiness.

"Yeah, I know Haley. What I meant was how the hell could this happen?"

"Well you know Nathan, birth control isn't one hundred percent effective," she informed condescendingly.

Nathan ran his hands over his face. "God this is a disaster," he muttered.

"What?" Haley asked, devastated at hearing those words.

Nathan looked back up to his girlfriend. "Haley, we're eighteen years old. We both have dreams and goals to achieve. A baby is the _last_ thing we need, and you would see that if you didn't get so damn emotional about it!"

"Well _sorry_ that I'm emotional because I'm carrying our child and you're acting as though you want nothing do with it!" she countered.

"Not for long you won't be," he mumbled.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she questioned icily.

"It means that you will _not_ have this baby. You're getting an abortion, Haley," Nathan stated resolutely.

"Who are you?" Haley asked, staring at Nathan as if he were a monster.

"Haley, be reasonable here. You know that we are in no position to raise a child right now!"

"There is not a chance in hell that I will abort this baby. Just because you're a spineless bastard, afraid to raise a child, doesn't mean I am," She glared menacingly.

"So I suppose you're just gonna trade in your dream of going to Stanford, for being a single mom with nothing more than a high school education?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes," Haley responded strongly.

"Well, good luck with that. I'm not going to stick around and act like I'm okay with this, consider this the end of our relationship. Have a nice life, Haley. Oh, and don't bother calling me when the kid's born. I'll mail any money I have to," Nathan said unattached.

"You really are a disgusting person. Walking out on your girlfriend and unborn baby. How can you even live with yourself?" Haley called, tears streaming down her face.

Nathan didn't respond and instead walked out of her bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Haley walked to her window and watched as her now ex-boyfriend sped away from her home. She collapsed onto her, sobbing. Moments later, Haley heard a knock on her door, but chose to ignore it. Lydia slowly opened the door and saw her distraught daughter.

"Honey, what happened?" she asked worriedly as she moved to the bed and wrap her arms around her daughter. Haley's only response was an increase in her sobs. Lydia resolved to stroking her back lovingly until the sobs died down to whimpers and eventually, silence engulfed the room as Haley fell asleep.

Lydia rose from the bed and pulled the covers over Haley. She moved to the door and took one last worried glance at her daughter before leaving.

* * *

The next morning, Haley awoke and immediately recalled the horrible events of the previous night. Refusing to let it get her down, she decided to focus on the positive events going on today. She had a doctor's appointment later in the afternoon to officially confirm the pregnancy.

Haley walked across the hall, and while using the bathroom she noticed blood in her panties. Her period. Haley was incredibly confused. She was about a week and a half late, took three pregnancy tests the day before and they all turned out positive. Haley ran back to her room and grabbed her car keys and headed straight to the pharmacy again, where she bought two more tests.

When she got home, she went right back up to her bathroom and took the first test. When she looked at the results she again saw the two pink lines, confirming that she was in fact pregnant. However, the lines today were a lot fainter than the ones yesterday. Her tests from yesterday had shown two, very clear, bright pink lines, and today's just wasn't the same. Thinking maybe this particular test was somewhat faulty; Haley took the second test but was met again by two very faint pink lines.

Still confused, Haley called her doctor and moved her appointment up to twenty minutes later. She threw on the first clothes she saw and headed out the door once again.

When she arrived at the doctor's office, she was immediately brought back into a private room to wait for her doctor. About five minutes later, a tall man in his late fifties with greying black hair walked into the room.

"Hello, Doctor Hunter," Haley greeted.

"Hello, Haley," he smiled. "It says here that you think you're pregnant?"

"Well, I did, until I woke up with my period this morning."

Doctor Hunter frowned. "Did you take a test?"

"Five of them," Haley blushed. "Three yesterday and then I took two more this morning."

"Were the results same each time?"

"They all said positive, but the results on the ones from today were a lot fainter compared to yesterday's."

The doctor nodded, having a slight idea what was going on with his patient. "Well, we'll draw some blood and someone will call you later and let you know what our results are."

* * *

After getting her blood work done, Haley drove over to the docks so she could think. She walked along the Cape Fear for a few minutes until she was approaching that special table, her and Nathan's table. She walked over to it and sat on top, placing her feet on one of the chairs on either side of it. Haley stared out onto the rushing river silently until she heard footsteps approaching her.

Haley turned around and saw her _ex-_boyfriend walking towards her. She glared at him and turned back to the water. She felt his hand squeeze her shoulder, a silent plea for her to turn around. She abided by his request and stared into his eyes.

"I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have tried to force you to get an abortion, I as being a spineless bastard like you said," he apologized.

"Well, you may be off the hook with paying child support. I got my period this morning," she revealed.

"What? I thought you took a test though."

"I did. I went to the doctor earlier, so I should get the results really soon."

Just as Haley finished talking, her cell phone began to ring. "Hello," she said as she picked up.

"Hi, Haley, it's Doctor Hunter."

"Oh, hi, Doctor. Do you have my results?"

Doctor Hunter sighed. "I'm sorry to have to tell you Haley, but you were in fact pregnancy, but suffered a very early miscarriage." Haley's eyes began to well with tears as she continued to listen to what her doctor was saying. "You had what we medically term as a chemical pregnancy. In other words, you are pregnant but usually due to chromosomal abnormalities, your body naturally miscarries. Just know that you did absolutely nothing wrong, there's nothing you could have done and about 50% of first pregnancies actually are chemical pregnancies. Call my office if you have any other questions, Haley."

"Thank you, Doctor Hunter," Haley answered.

"Sure thing, Haley," he replied and hung up. Haley hung up her phone as well and turned to completely face Nathan, her tears becoming harder to hold back.

"I miscarried," she choked out.

"So, you were actually pregnant then?" Nathan asked. Haley nodded in response, too upset to speak for a moment.

Nathan smiled. "What the hell are you smiling about?" Haley asked outraged.

"Well, yesterday, the only problem in our relationship was that baby. Now that it's out of the picture, we can get back together again," he explained.

"Out of the picture? Did you really just say that in reference to a miscarriage?"

Nathan remained silent, not seeing the problem in his word choice. "And by the way, losing the baby does _not_ mean we are getting back together, not even close," Haley added.

"What, why not?"

"Are you not forgetting that yesterday you basically abandoned me and our unborn child? That fight hasn't just been erased, Nathan."

"But it doesn't matter anymore because now I have no reason to abandon you!" he assured.

"The way you behaved last night was sickening. There is no way that I want to be with you anymore, Nathan. Especially knowing that you aren't even affected by finding out that your baby died."

"Oh, come on, Hales. The thing wasn't a baby! It was probably still a fucking cell that we wouldn't even be able to see!"

Haley took a step away from Nathan, astounded by his behaviour. "Regardless of the size or what it looked like, that _cell_ would have become our child. How can you not process that?" Haley argued.

"Whatever, you knew you were pregnant for less than a day, Haley. Stop acting like you lost something huge."

Haley's mouth dropped open in shock. "I don't even know who you are anymore," she whispered tearfully and began to back away towards her car.

"So does that mean there's no chance of us getting back together?"

"As of right now, Nathan, it's going to be a stretch to even remain your friend. The most I can do is be civil, and only for the sake of our friends," she replied and turned completely to walk back to her car.

* * *

Haley spent all of the next day mourning the loss of her relationship and what would have been her child. On Monday, Haley arrived at school, prepared to put on a fake smile to avoid having to explain why she was so unusually depressed. She knew she was going to have to tell her friends that her and Nathan broke up, but she planned on only giving them that, she didn't want them to know everything that happened this weekend.

"Hey guys," Haley greeted as she approached her friends. She surveyed the group and noticed someone missing. "Where's Nathan?"

"Probably at home, or on his way here," Lucas replied. "Shouldn't you know where he is better than us though?"

Haley remained silent for a moment before looking each one of her friends in the eye briefly. "I have to tell you guys something."

"What is it, Hales?" Brooke asked.

Remembering their last conversation, Haley's eyes began to water. "Nathan and I broke up on the weekend."

Everyone in the group gasped. "What happened?"Jake questioned.

"I'd rather not talk about it, but it's definitely for the best," she responded. A solitary tear rolled down Haley's cheek and Brooke immediately engulfed her in a tight hug. As the two girls pulled away, the group looked over to see an angry looking Nathan Scott glaring at Haley. She stared solemnly at him before turning to walk in the other direction away from her friends, not wanting them to see her break down.

* * *

On her lunch hour, instead of eating with her friends, Haley headed towards the school's music room. Upon arriving, she saw a lone figure strumming his guitar. "Hi, Chris," she spoke up.

Chris looked up startled. "What are you doing here?" he asked, slightly on edge.

"I know you pretty much hate me since our break up, but I really need someone to talk to."

"Don't you have your boyfriend for that?"

"That's actually kinda part of what I wanted to talk about. We broke up a couple days ago," Haley explained.

Chris set is guitar in a stand and motioned for Haley to sit next to him. "What happened?"

"I got pregnant." She mumbled. "He acted like an ass when I told him and he told me that if I didn't get an abortion then he wasn't going to be a part of my life anymore. Obviously, I refused and he walked out."

"Whoa," Chris stated shocked.

"Yeah. Then, the next morning I woke up with my period. So I went to the doctor and he called me later when I was actually with Nathan, and he told me that I miscarried. I told Nathan and he acted like an even bigger jackass, we fought some more and I told him we wouldn't be getting back together, or even be friends. Then I left," Haley continued, tears slowly beginning to roll down her cheeks.

Chris leaned over and hugged Haley. "He's an idiot for even thinking about mistreating you. You didn't deserve any of his shit, at all," he comforted.

Haley nodded. "Thanks, Chris."

"No problem, Hales. The past is the past, from now on, The Keller is here for you," he smirked, knowing she hated when he spoke in third person.

Haley laughed and lightly swatted him on the back. "I thought I managed to get you to drop speaking in the third person."

Chris laughed in reply. "I know, I know. I just wanted to make you laugh."

Haley smiled. "Thank you so much, Chris. You have no idea how much it means to know I have a friend like you."

Haley and Chris spent the rest of their lunch hour catching up and reminiscing about their memories from their short relationship two and half years prior. They laughed and had a good time, making Haley completely forget about all the events that transpired that past weekend, something she discovered to be all that she needed at the moment.


	7. Chapter 7

Happy One Tree Hill Day, guys! In honour of such a special occasion, here's the next chapter! Enjoy.

Once again, feedback is greatly appreciated.

* * *

Chapter 7

A month had passed since Nathan and Haley's break up. The group of six friends had graduated from Tree Hill High the week before. Haley had kept her word and remained civil towards Nathan whenever she was around him. She had also been spending more and more time with Chris Keller, someone who made her forget all her problems. Although Haley and Chris had dated in high school, they both agreed that this time around their feelings were strictly platonic, and always would be. Currently, Haley was sitting atop a picnic table at the Rivercourt waiting for Chris to arrive.

Haley heard footsteps approaching a turned around expecting to see her friend. Instead, she was met by Dan Scott. Haley rolled her eyes and turned back around, hoping that if she ignored him he would leave. Unfortunately for Haley, her plan didn't quite work and Dan sat down next to her on the table.

"Hello, Ms. James," he spoke smoothly.

"Mr. Scott," Haley acknowledged.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Waiting for a friend."

"Are you sure you're not waiting for my son to show up? Maybe you've decided you want him back?"

"I'm not that desperate," Haley defended.

"Well that's good. You should know though, even if you did want Nathan back, it wouldn't happen."

"And why is that?" Haley questioned.

"Because I've finally managed to convince Nathan of how much better he is than you."

Haley scoffed. "I'll keep that in mind," she declared sardonically.

"You know," he continued. "Nathan never told me why you guys broke up, but let me express how happy I was when I found out. You were nothing more than a piece of ass that he claimed to love, that was also holding him back."

Haley nodded in mock agreement. "Lucky for you, I ended our relationship, allowing him to _reach his full potential_."

"I doubt _you_ dumped him. Last I checked your family was dirt poor, you're a smart enough girl to know to latch on to money."

Haley shrugged. "Believe what you'd like to Mr. Scott."

Dan smirked. "Well, time for me to go. I don't want to be seen around trash like you for too long."

Haley turned around and watched him leave, noticing Chris approaching the Rivercourt, passing Dan on his way to her. Dan turned around and smirked once more. "He's quite a dive from Nathan, but definitely more at your level."

Haley glared at Dan and watched as he got into his black SUV and drove away.

"Who was that?" Chris inquired.

"Nathan's ass of a father," Haley grumbled.

"What did he want?"

"Oh, you know, just to make sure I was aware of how beneath Nathan I am, and how happy he was that we broke up."

"I wondered where Nathan got it."

"Got what?"

"His ability to be an arrogant asshole and not give a damn," Chris supplied.

Haley laughed. "As much as I hate Nathan, even he isn't as bad as Dan."

Chris shrugged. "To each his own," he remarked.

The two friends fell into a short silence, when Chris began to speak moments later. "Speak of the devil," he muttered.

"Huh?" Haley replied.

Chris nodded his head in the direction of an approaching Nathan, bracing himself for any fight that might ensue. "Oh," Haley said.

Nathan stepped onto the court and looked up at Haley and Chris. He glared at them and began walking over. "Can I have a word with you, Haley?" he asked upon arrival.

"Like hell you will," Chris interjected.

"Stay out of it, Keller," Nathan spat. He turned his gaze toward Haley and silently asked her again.

"Yeah, I guess," she muttered while running a hand through her long blond hair.

Chris turned to Haley. "I'm not leaving," he whispered.

"Chris, I love you, but its okay. You can go, I'll be fine," she reassured and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek. He silently conceded and began to walk away from the ex lovers.

Nathan watched as Haley tried to convince the loser to beat it. His ears perked up when he heard her saying she loved him. Then she had the audacity to kiss him! Anger was coursing through Nathan's veins. He couldn't believe her.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Haley inquired.

"You've got some nerve," Nathan seethed.

"What are you talking about?" Haley asked confused.

"We've been broken up for a month and you're already telling that douche you love him?" Nathan yelled.

"He's just my friend! Calm down."

"Bullshit! You're just some sort of whore."

Haley glared at him. "Go screw yourself, Nathan."

"Actually, I have a bunch of girls lined up waiting to. Speaking of screwing though, if you're acting like such a whore now, how do I know you weren't doing it when we were still dating?"

"What are you insinuating?" Haley asked angrily.

"I'm saying how do I even know that kid was mine?" Before Nathan could even close his mouth, Haley walked up to him and slapped him across the face. Tears were streaming down her face as she began to speak.

"That's really low, Nathan. You know that I would _never_ cheat on you."

"Maybe so, but you may have also been trying to trap me."

"What?" she cried.

"Maybe you were afraid things would change once college started. You figured a baby would make me stay, so you went off birth control," he reasoned.

Haley gaped at him in shock. "I could _never_ do that to you."

"Who knows? You did seem _pretty_ happy about telling me you were pregnant."

"I was smiling because I loved you, and I knew that I had always eventually wanted to have children with you. Maybe it was an inopportune time, but that doesn't change that I was having _your_ baby."

"There you go getting all emotional again. Pregnancy hormones maybe? Knocked up with Keller's baby this time."

Haley stared at him. "The only person I've ever been with is you, Nathan. You know that, so why are you being such an asshole?"

Nathan shrugged in response. "Can you please tell me what you had to talk to me about so I can leave?" Haley asked.

"Oh, right. I just thought I'd tell you before everyone else finds out."

"Tell me what?"

"I have a new girlfriend," he revealed.

Haley's jaw dropped. "Who?"

"Rachel Gatina."

Haley stumbled back, as though his words had physically hit her. "How could you? You know how badly she's always treated me!"

"The truth is, Haley, I really don't care about you anymore. You're nothing to me anymore, so you don't dictate who I date," he replied unattached.

Tears were streaming down Haley's face at an alarming rate. "If that's how it is, then I think it's better off we just don't see or talk to each other again," she said defeated.

"Fine with me," he responded with a tone of finality.

Haley began backing away from Nathan even more. Finally, she turned and ran the whole way home. Watching her run, Nathan turned back to the basketball court and began practicing his free throws, feeling a small hint of guilt at hurting Haley again. The truth is, he still did love her, but he just knew he'd never be good enough for her again after how he treated her.

* * *

When Haley finally reached her house she opened the door and immediately ran up to her room and locked the door. Lydia heard her daughter sobbing as she entered the house and went to go check on her. She knocked on the door but received no response. "Haley? Open up, sweetie," she said while knocking again. Still getting no response, she decided to try again later.

Lydia tried to get Haley to open her door three more times that day. Each time, she heard her daughter crying, but received no answer. Lydia was extremely worried about her daughter. She had not come out of her room to use the washroom or eat in almost 24 hours. She needed to call one of Haley's friends. Peyton and Jake were out of town; Lucas was a guy and wouldn't do well with crying, so Lydia called Brooke Davis.

"Hello," Brooke greeted.

"Hi, Brooke, it's Lydia."

"Oh hey, Lydia, what's up?"

"I was wondering, have you talked to Haley since yesterday afternoon?"

"Um, no. Why?"

"Well, she came running into the house, hysterical. She ran into her room and locked the door and hasn't come out since."

Brooke's face fell. "I'm on my way," she informed and hung up the phone while rushing out her front door.

Five minutes later, Brooke walked into the James household. She greeted Lydia and proceeded up to her best friend's bedroom. Knowing it was locked, Brooke knocked on the door. "Haley, its Brooke, open up."

Brooke heard a shuffling from inside the room and the lock click. The door slowly opened and Brooke was met by the very blood shot eyes of her best friend. Brooke immediately engulfed the shorter girl in a warm hug and backed them into the bedroom towards the bed. Once the two girls had sat down, Brooke turned to Haley.

"You wanna tell me what happened?"

Haley sighed. "Where should I even start?"

"The beginning would be nice."

Haley looked down at her hands that were playing with her comforter. She began recounting everything that had happened between her and Nathan, beginning with her taking the three pregnancy tests all the way to their conversation the day before. Brooke's eyes began to water as Haley finished.

"You were pregnant?" she whispered.

Haley nodded in response, tears welling in her own eyes for the millionth time. "Oh my God, Hales. I wish you would have told me sooner."

Haley looked to her friend apologetically. "I'm sorry."

"Its okay, I understand. When are you going to tell everyone else though?"

"Brooke, I can't. It's too hard."

Brooke was about to protest but upon seeing her friends pleading look, conceded. "You have to swear to not tell anyone either. Not even Lucas, Peyton, or Jake."

Brooke sighed. "I promise. You're gonna have to tell them eventually though, Hales."

"I know. It's just painful to relive." Brooke nodded sympathetically and once again wrapped her arms around her friend comfortingly. The two girls spent the rest of that day and night talking and laughing, attempting to rid Haley's mind of memories of Nathan Scott.

* * *

"After that, you guys know everything that happened," twenty five year old Haley James finished recounting her memories from seven years earlier. She looked around the room at her friends and saw that Peyton's eyes were watering, Lucas and Jake were silent, and Brooke, despite already hearing the story, was struggling to keep herself together.

Peyton lifted herself from the floor and walked over to Haley and hugged her tightly. Jake and Lucas soon followed and Haley was at the centre of a five person group hug. They pulled away when they heard the front door open and close. Haley then realized that it had actually taken her about two hours to retell the events of seven years prior. She looked to the entrance of the room and saw a solemn Nathan staring at her.

Lucas was incredibly angry with his half brother for treating his best friend like dirt. When he saw him, Lucas jumped to his feet prepared to beat his brother to a pulp. As if she knew exactly what he was going to do, Haley called out to Lucas.

"Lucas, don't you dare touch him!"

Lucas turned to face her. "Haley, do you not remember everything you just told us? He deserves to get his ass kicked for how he treated you!"

"So you told them?" Nathan cut in.

Haley glanced at him quickly, acknowledging his question and turned back to Lucas. "I know exactly what he did to me, Lucas. That doesn't mean you just get to attack him because you're pissed off about it."

Lucas shook his head in disagreement but sat back down anyway. "Could you guys could give us some privacy? I think Nathan and I need to have a talk," Haley declared.

Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and Jake grudgingly got up and left the room, leaving Nathan and Haley alone to talk at last.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The two ex-lovers stood staring awkwardly at each other from across the room. Neither one knew how to begin their conversation. After minutes of silence Nathan finally began to speak.

"So, how much did you tell them?"

"All of it."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"For what?" Haley asked, unsure of what exactly he was apologizing for.

"Blowing up at you. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. It's not your fault that I kissed you," he explained.

"Oh."

"And I'm sorry for leaving you to relive everything that happened by yourself. And I'm sorry for everything that I said and did to you seven years ago."

Haley sighed. She felt bad that he seemed to be blaming himself for their entire break-up. Of course, she was the one that put those thoughts into his mind a couple of hours ago. She didn't mean it though. She was angry at him and lashed out; blaming him was the easiest way to hurt him. "I'm sorry, too, Nathan."

Nathan looked to her confused. Brown met blue for the first time during their conversation. Both sets of eyes swirling with hurt and guilt. "For what?"

"Everything I ever did seven years ago that lead to our break up."

"Haley, nothing was your fault."

Haley laughed humourlessly. "Quit being stubborn and accept that I played a part in our relationship falling apart, Nathan."

Nathan put his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay. As long as you agree to accept that me being an ass was the biggest cause of the break up."

Haley shook her head in disagreement. "Please don't be too hard on yourself, Nathan."

"I won't as long as you agree."

"Fine. I agree that you being an ass because you were a scared, teenage boy was the biggest part of our break up. I just have one question though."

"What is it?"

"Why did you do it?"

"You mean walk out?" Nathan clarified.

Haley nodded. "The only reason I have is nowhere near good enough to justify what I did to you."

"Let me be the judge of that."

Nathan sighed. "When you told me, I figured it was better to reject it then, instead of acting happy and then telling you I couldn't be with you anymore later on."

"Why couldn't you be with me, though?" Haley asked.

"You knew my dad, Haley. As soon as he found out, he would have forced me to break up with you. I wouldn't of had a choice."

"So you felt the need to completely rip my heart out?" she cried.

Nathan looked at her with guilt. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how else to make you not want to be near me. It would have hurt us more in the long run if we spent more time together."

Haley accepted his answer. "It's okay, Nathan."

"What do you mean, 'it's okay'?" he asked confused.

"I understand why you acted the way you did, now."

"Just like that?" he asked shocked.

Haley nodded. "I don't blame you for being afraid of what Dan would make you do. I get it."

Nathan smiled. Despite breaking her heart, Haley was still trying to ease his feelings of guilt. He knew that both of them were completely aware that Dan had not been responsible for how Nathan treated her, but that was Haley, she always tried to make him feel better after he screwed up. _Some things never change_, he thought. Nathan began approaching Haley, opening his arms. Haley gave a small smile and walked into his awaiting arms. Just as she had done when they dated, Haley rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. They opened moments later when she heard Nathan speak. "Friends?" he asked quietly.

Haley tensed slightly and pulled away from Nathan. "Nathan, I wish I could say yes, but after everything that's happened between us, I don't think I can do that right now. I know we just had a really good conversation, and we said our apologies, but that still doesn't change what happened," she spoke apologetically.

"It's okay, I understand. Can we at least be civil though? I really don't want to fight with you, Haley."

"Of course," she smiled and leaned back in to hug him again. Nathan smiled contentedly and couldn't stop himself from kissing Haley gently on her head. He pulled away, still smiling.

"I'm going to head to bed, it's been a long night."

"Yeah, me too," Haley replied.

"Goodnight, Hales."

Haley ignored his use of her nickname and responded. "Goodnight, Nathan."

When Nathan and Haley exited the family room into the hallway, she heard a door close quietly further down the hall. The two parted ways and Haley continued down the hallway, passing her bedroom and walked straight into Lucas and Brooke's room. Upon entering, Haley saw her four friends dispersed throughout the room, attempting to look as though they were not just eavesdropping on her conversation. "I'm not stupid, you know," she remarked.

"We don't know what you're talking about," Brooke replied innocently.

Haley rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. You guys were totally just listening to my conversation with Nathan!" she accused.

"Why would we do such a thing?" Brooke asked.

"Because you guys have always been obnoxiously nosy," Haley drawled.

Peyton laughed. "She has a point, guys. We can never mind our own business."

"So you admit that you were eavesdropping?"

Brooke shrugged. "We figured it would be easier than having you retell the whole conversation."

"Well? You guys always have to offer your opinions, so let's hear them. What'd you think of what we said?"

"I think you handled it well," Jake remarked.

"I still want to kill him," Lucas added.

"I actually feel kind of bad for Nathan," Peyton spoke up.

Brooke remained silent. "Brooke? Any opinion?" Haley prodded.

She cleared her throat to ensure she was currently the centre of attention. "I'm proud of you, Hales. You really are an amazing person for being so kind to him."

Haley smiled at one of her closest friends. "Thanks, Brookie."

Brooke nodded at her friend in acknowledgement. "Well, I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed." Haley announced. Jake and Peyton too announced that they were off to bed. With that, the six childhood friends all fell into a deep slumber for the rest of the night. Peace enveloping the penthouse apartment for the first time since the trip had begun.  


* * *

Haley awoke the next morning and walked into the kitchen. When she arrived, she saw Brooke, Lucas, Jake, Peyton, and Nathan sitting and standing around the kitchen, preparing breakfast together. "Good morning," she greeted.

The other occupants in the room looked up and smiled, acknowledging her presence before going back to their specific task. She walked further into the room and took at seat at the kitchen table. Haley watched as Brooke passed a bowl of pancake mix to Lucas and begin walking towards the table. She sat down next to Haley and began to speak.

"So today, we're going to finally start wedding planning!"

"Where are we even going to start, Brooke?"

"I don't know exactly, but Lucas and I have decided on a few things."

"Like what?" Haley asked as Peyton sat down at the table on Brooke's other side.

"We definitely want to have the wedding in Tree Hill."

"That's all you know?" Peyton questioned.

"Well, I also want a May wedding."

"May, Brooke?" Haley asked incredulously.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Brooke, you do realize it's the middle of February, right?"

"Yeah."

"That only gives you like three months to plan!" Haley explained.

"That's why you guys are going to help me!" she smiled.

Peyton and Haley shook their heads at their friend. "Where in Tree Hill do you want to have the wedding?" Haley asked.

"The church," Brooke answered.

"Do you guys have a specific date?" Peyton inquired.

"What date do you want to get married on, Luke?" Brooke smiled.

"You want it in May right?" he responded.

Brooke nodded. "How about the 25th?" he suggested.

"Sounds good!"

Haley laughed. "You better go call the church right now then, Brooke. They may already be booked."

"They better not be," Brooke spoke menacingly as she left the room to call, Lucas leaving the stove to follow her. Jake quickly assumed Lucas' position and began cooking the pancakes.

"I take it you guys don't have to help plan this at all?" Haley asked.

"Other than the bachelor party, no," Jake answered.

"What are you guys thinking of doing for that?" Peyton inquired.

Jake looked at Nathan questioningly. "Any ideas?"

"No, not really," he shrugged.

"Why don't we do a joint bachelor/bachelorette party at Tric?" Haley suggested.

Peyton, Jake, and Nathan all nodded in agreement. "It's settled then? Joint party at Tric?" Jake clarified.

Everyone nodded once more and turned to the door as Brooke and Lucas walked back in with smiles on their faces. "We're officially getting married at Tree Hill church on May 25th!" Brooke announced.

The rest of the occupants of the kitchen smiled, happy for the excited couple. The boys finished preparing breakfast and the six childhood friends sat down to eat, conversation of the upcoming wedding and the planning necessary for it the main topic. Throughout the meal, Nathan and Haley desperately avoided each other's eyes, both secretly wishing it was their wedding they were in the midst of planning.  


* * *

After breakfast, the girls decided to get ready and head out to a local cafe to discuss more wedding plans. As they exited the elevator in the apartment's lobby, Haley noticed that about ten paparazzi were camped outside the doors. She braced herself for what was to come. The paparazzi had a tendency to say some mean things every once in a while. The three girls walked through the front doors and the madness began. Flashes were going off every second, combined with the shouting of the different cameramen.

"Haley!"

"Haley! What are you doing here?"

"Why aren't you in LA?"

"Are you visiting a boyfriend?"

Question after question was fired at her. Haley laughed and shook her head at some. They asked her the stupidest questions sometimes. Realizing they weren't going to get a word out of her today, the cameramen backed off and dispersed throughout the city, probably looking for more stars to photograph. Finally, they girls arrived at the cafe. They walked in and sat at a table in the back corner.

"I really hate the paparazzi," Brooke claimed.

"Who doesn't?" Haley replied.

"Yeah. At least they don't bother me too much."

"You're lucky. It seems like everywhere I go, at least one of them is there too," Haley complained.

"That must suck," Peyton sympathized.

A waitress walked over to their table and conversation died down. The three friends each ordered a coffee and their conversation soon proceeded into wedding planning once again.

"Where are you having the reception?"

"How many people are you going to invite?"

"What kind of cake do you want?"

"What food do you want to serve?"

"Who are you going to hire to cater?"

"Are you designing your own dress?"

Haley and Peyton fired off questions at Brooke. Brooke sat in her chair looking overwhelmed. "I don't know guys! Wedding planning is a lot harder than I thought!" Brooke groaned.

"Okay, let's take this one step at a time then," Haley soothed. "Where in Tree Hill can we have a reception?"

"We could have it at Tric. Karen owns it so we'd have no problem making sure it's available," Brooke suggested.

"Good idea, Brooke. We can decorate it really nicely so it looks fancier," Peyton added.

Haley nodded in agreement and pulled a notepad and pen out of her purse. She began writing down everything they had already decided on and on a separate sheet, everything they needed to decide. "Okay, we need a caterer," she said.

Peyton winced. "A caterer is going to be hard to book this late."

"What about Karen?" Brooke asked. "She would definitely say yes."

Haley nodded and again began writing on her 'decided' list. "We'll have to call her later to just to make sure."

"What about your dress?" Peyton asked.

"I'm designing it, along with your bridesmaids' dresses," Brooke replied.

"And what about your cake?" Haley questioned.

"Red velvet cupcakes, but I have to make sure Lucas is okay with that too."

Haley again began writing on her list. "I think that's good for now," she said.

"Okay. Now, on to important subject number two," Brooke stated.

"What?" Haley asked confused.

"You and Nathan," Peyton explained.

Haley groaned. "Really guys? There's nothing to talk about."

"Is that why you two were totally avoiding each other at breakfast?" Brooke asked.

Haley shook her head. "Is it a crime to not look at someone now?"

"No, but you guys refused to even glance at one another."

Haley sighed. "It's just weird talking about planning a wedding when he's there."

"Why?" Peyton asked.

"Because Nathan and I should be married," Haley confessed.

Brooke rubbed her friend's back comfortingly. "It's understandable that you're feeling this way, Hales, but it's not going to go away. We still have over two months of planning, and the actually wedding to get through."

"I know that. I'm just going to have to let it go."

"Don't just let it go, Hales. Talk to us if _anything_ is bugging you," Peyton told her.

"Okay. Thanks, guys," Haley smiled. The three girls continued to talk casually before finally decided to head back to Brooke's apartment.  


* * *

After arriving back at the apartment, the girls found Lucas and Nathan locked in an intense match of NBA Live, with Jake sitting on the floor watching.

"Is this what you guys have been doing all day?" Brooke asked.

The only response she received was a couple of low grunts emitted from one of the boys. Brooke walked across the room and planted herself in front of the television. All three guys immediately jumped up and began yelling in outrage. Brooke switched the television off and the boys once again yelled.

"Will you calm down?" Brooke raised her voice.

The boys closed their mouths and sat back down. "Thank you," she said.

"What is it, Brooke?" Nathan asked annoyed.

"Well, since our first two nights have pretty much ended in disaster for some of us," she spoke while giving pointed glances at Nathan and Haley. "I've decided that we're going to go out for a nice dinner tonight, drama free."

The group of friends agreed silently. Brooke clapped her hands and laughed giddily. "Come on, ladies. We have to get ready!"

"Brooke, it's only like four," Nathan spoke up.

Brooke gasped. "That only gives me like two hours to get ready!" she declared before rushing out of the room with Haley and Peyton.

"I will never understand the female brain," Jake claimed while shaking his head.

Two hours later, Brooke, Haley, and Peyton walked into the foyer of the apartment and were greeted by Lucas, Nathan, and Jake. Brooke and Peyton greeted their respective partner, leaving Nathan and Haley to gaze at each other awkwardly. "You look amazing, Hales," Nathan complimented.

"Thanks," Haley blushed. Nathan and Haley were saved from the awkwardness when Brooke began talking once more, while ushering the group to the elevators.

When the group of friends arrived in the lobby they saw that an even larger group of paparazzi was camped outside the doors than there had been earlier in the day. Nathan and Haley were both A-list stars and they knew being seen together would probably stir up a few silly rumours. The ex-lovers braced themselves for the madness to come and the six friends walked outside. As soon as Haley set foot onto the cement sidewalk, the vultures were circling in on her and her friends.

"Haley!"

"Nathan!"

"Haley, is it true that you're dating Felix Tagarro?"

"Is it true you're pregnant and don't know who the father is?" Nathan balled up his fists in rage. _That dumbass says one more thing to her, he's dead,_ he thought. He looked to his left and saw that Haley seemed completely unfazed by what was being said to her.

"You're really whoring it up, aren't you Haley? It's a shame that a beautiful girl like you turned out to be so slutty."

Upon hearing the photographer's sentence, Nathan lost it. He lunged at the much smaller man, snatched the camera away and had him pinned up against the side of a brick building in seconds. His group of friends and the other paparazzo stopped. Cameras began flashing even faster as Nathan seethed in the other man's face. "Don't you dare talk to her like that."

"I was just speaking the truth, buddy," the man smirked. Nathan pulled his arm back, preparing to swing at the man's face when he felt a smaller hand clasp around his forearm. He turned and saw that Haley had her hand wrapped around his wrist and was staring pleadingly into his eyes.

"Don't, Nathan" she whispered.

Nathan turned back around to the paparazzo. "You're lucky she's such an amazing person," he snarled and let go of the man. The smaller man reached for his camera, but Nathan held it out of reach before dropping it on the sidewalk and stepping on it, smashing it to bits. "Oops," he said innocently.

Nathan turned to face Haley and she smiled at him. "Thank you."

He nodded in response and wrapped an arm around her waist as the group of friends once again began walking the short distance to the restaurant, desperately trying to shield her from the even more invading paparazzi. They finally made it to the restaurant and Nathan smiled softly at Haley as he held open the door and led her into the restaurant, once again placing his arm firmly around her, feeling it his duty to protect her for anything trying to hurt her.


	9. Chapter 9

Here we go guys! I hope you enjoy it.  
As always, feedback is extremely appreciated, I value anything you guys think about what I'm writing ! :)

* * *

Chapter 9

The group of six were promptly seated in a private room upon arriving at the restaurant. Brooke and Lucas sat next to each other at the large circular table, with Haley on Brooke's right, and Nathan next to her. On Lucas' left sat Jake and then Peyton next to him. As soon as he was seated, Nathan's cell phone began to ring. He winced at seeing who it was and looked apologetically to the other occupants of the table before answering.

"Hello," he greeted.

"Why the hell are there pictures of you about to punch some guy all over the internet and TV?" Clay, Nathan's agent yelled.

Nathan grimaced. "The guy was being an asshole," he shrugged.

"SO YOU PIN HIM AGAINST A BUILDING AND PUNCH HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF A NEW YORK SIDEWALK?" he screamed.

Nathan sighed. "What do you want me to tell you, Clay?"

"For starters, it'd be nice to know what you were doing with Haley James. I didn't even know you knew her."

"First of all, I didn't punch the guy. Second of all, I've known her pretty much my entire life," Nathan said while glancing at Haley.

Upon hearing Nathan's response to the other person's statement, Haley knew exactly what the phone call was about. Pictures of Nathan losing it on that paparazzo had already gotten out, and his agent was probably pissed and wanted to know what was going on. Judging on the latter part of Nathan's response, Haley assumed whoever Nathan was talking to wanted to know why he was with her, too.

"Oh, well not punching him makes it look so much better," Clay replied sarcastically.

Nathan ran his free hand over his face. "Well, if people heard what he said, it really wouldn't be as bad," he reasoned.

Haley raised her eyebrows at that. She knew that someone calling her a whore was definitely not a reasonable excuse to almost punch them.

"This better be good. What did he say?"

"He called someone I care about a whore, among other things."

Clay sighed. "Nathan, the rest of the world isn't going to care that the guy was being a douche bag. What they _will _care about is how quickly you lost your temper."

"I know, Clay, okay?" Nathan said. "What am I supposed to do though? It's not like I can take it back."

"I think the best way to go about it is issue a statement, apologizing."

"What's it going to say?"

"Basically, that you lost your temper and you feel extremely bad about and you're going to work to prevent it from ever happening again."

"So it's just going be a bunch of bullshit?" Nathan laughed.

"Pretty much."

Nathan smirked. "Listen man, I gotta go, I'm out to dinner right now."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later. Try not to _almost_ punch anyone else, okay?" Clay joked.

Nathan shook his head and hung up. "Sorry about that," he apologized while tuning back into the current conversation.

"Have pictures already gotten out?" Haley asked.

Nathan nodded his head in response. "Great," she muttered. "My phone should be ringing any second then."

"Your agent?" Nathan assumed.

"Publicist," Haley corrected.

"What did the pictures show?" Peyton inquired.

"All Clay said was that I had a guy pinned up against a building, about to punch him. Then he asked why I was with Haley James, so she's obviously in at least one of the pictures too."

"Hopefully there aren't many," Brooke added.

"I doubt it," Haley muttered. Her friends turned their eyes to her. "There were too many photographers there for it to only be a few pictures." As she finished speaking her cell phone began to ring. Like Nathan, Haley winced upon seeing the name flashing on the screen.

"Who is it?" Brooke inquired.

"Millie," Haley replied and answered her phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Haley, how are you?" Millie spoke smoothly.

Haley knew her publicist was beyond angry. She only spoke this calmly when she was pissed off about something in the media about one of her clients. "So you've seen the pictures then?"

"Yes, I'm actually looking at a bunch of them as we speak."

"Are they bad?"

"It depends on what you consider _bad."_

Haley sighed. "Millie, just tell me what the pictures show."

"Well, there's the one where you're grabbing Nathan Scott's arm. Then there's the one where you're saying something to him. Oh and there's the one when he's dropped the guy on the wall and you guys are staring into each other's eyes, and finally the ones with Nathan's arm around you as you guys are walking," she summed up.

Haley put her face in her hands. "Is that all?"

"Well there are other pictures, but they aren't _that_ bad. But the pictures aren't our biggest problem right now, Haley."

"Then what is?" Haley asked fearfully.

"The fact that I'm looking at a website right now that is claiming you and Nathan Scott are secret lovers, and there are quite a few more like this one."

"THEY'RE WHAT?" Haley screeched.

"Not to mention this one already has couple name for you guys, terming you 'Naley'."

Haley whimpered softly. "This cannot be happening."

The rest of Haley's friends were listening intently to her side of the phone conversation, curious about what Millie could have possibly just told her.

"I need to issue a statement about this right away, but I need to know how you actually know Nathan."

"Childhood friends," Haley supplied shortly.

"Okay. I'm just going to say that and also that there has never been any romantic connection between the two of you."

"You can't say that," Haley protested. "People know that's a lie."

Millie's eyes bulged. "How did I not know about this?"

"I never really told anyone."

She shook her head. "How about I say you two are just friends then?"

"Yeah, sure, that's fine."

"Okay, I should go then. Please try to avoid the paparazzi for a few days."

"I'll try. Bye, Millie," Haley said as she hung up her phone. Her friends looked to her uneasily and she turned to Nathan.

"Apparently you and I are secret lovers now," she revealed. "At least according to a bunch of gossip websites, we are."

Everyone's eyes bulged at what Haley had just said. Nathan put his head in his hands. "Shit."

"Millie is putting out a statement saying that we've known each other since we were kids and that we're just friends," she informed.

"I'll text Clay and tell him to add that to my statement," Nathan responded while reaching for his phone again.

"Then what?" Lucas questioned.

Haley sighed and shrugged. "We wait for it to blow over."

As Haley finished speaking a waitress walked into their private room and began taking orders. Once everyone had ordered their meals the waitress left and Brooke began to speak.

"So we got a bit of the wedding planned today!" she announced to the boys.

As Brooke began explaining everything about what they got done for the wedding today Haley drifted into her thoughts. She couldn't believe that multiple websites were actually claiming her and Nathan to be _lovers_. As if it wasn't bad enough that the pictures that were released were obviously in some way intimate, she now had to worry about people digging into her past and finding out the truth about her relationship with Nathan. This is only the first time that the world had seen her and Nathan together and already this speculation was arising. What would happen when they were possibly seen at Brooke and Lucas' wedding and bachelor/bachelorette party together? Haley had a sinking feeling that this wouldn't just blow over like she said. She and Nathan were both extremely well known. The general public and paparazzi would not let it just go away. They loved stalking potential A-list couples. All it took was one photo to spark the rumours, and there were probably dozens of her and Nathan. She rubbed her temples, feeling overly stressed now and tried to tune back into Brooke, who was till explaining what they had accomplished earlier on.

The group's food arrived shortly after and they began to eat in relative silence, with someone sparking a short conversation every so often. They finally finished eating and before leaving they called a car service in order to avoid the paparazzi as much as possible. When they arrived back at the apartment building they saw that at least fifteen photographers were waiting for their return. The six friends quickly exited the vehicle and rushed inside, Nathan and Haley being concealed by the other four friends.

They arrived back in the penthouse apartment and Haley rushed to Brooke's laptop that was sitting on the kitchen table. She flipped it open and Google searched herself. Sure enough, the first things to appear were a bunch of different gossip and entertainment websites. She clicked on the first one and clicked through the pictures. She counted about twenty and scrolled down the page slightly before reading an extremely large headline. _"Haley James and Nathan Scott, Lovers?"_ Haley shook her head and went back to the Google page. Every other website had the same pictures and a similar claim and article as the first website. Haley exited the web browser and closed the laptop. She wordlessly walked over to the television in the next room and turned onto the first entertainment show she found. Once again, Haley was met by the pictures of herself and Nathan that were taken merely hours before. The girl speaking on the screen was also reciting the rumour of Nathan and Haley dating, this one adding that both her and Nathan's reps had said they were just friends. Haley angrily turned off the TV and collapsed onto the couch behind her. Haley only noticed the presence of the others in the room when she heard Peyton speak.

"Hales?" she tested.

"What?" she groaned.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to figure out how to make this go away."

"There's nothing you can do to make it go away, Haley," Nathan pointed out.

"Can you do me a favour, Nathan?" Haley asked sweetly.

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Leave me alone!" she barked.

Nathan staggered back confused. "What did I do?"

"If it weren't for you wanting to punch that guy, we would have never had to deal with these rumours in the first place!"

Nathan rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry that I was standing up for you."

Haley scoffed. "While I appreciate you doing that, we both know that all those guys ever want is to get a rise out of someone. All you did was give him what he wanted."

"Sorry, Haley. These rumours aren't that big of a deal though."

"Yes, they are! Do you have any idea what people can uncover when they really want to find something?" Haley asked while still lying on the couch with her face covered.

"All anyone would find is that we dated! Who cares?"

"Do you _really_ think that they wouldn't be able to find out about my pregnancy?" Haley replied. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have the entire world know about that."

Hearing Haley mention her pregnancy served as a reminder to Lucas about how angry he was at Nathan for everything he did to his best friend. He cleared his throat and everyone turned their eyes to him. "I think you guys should be separated until you both cool down about what's happening. So, Nathan, can I talk to you in another room?"

Nathan nodded and followed his brother out of the room, leaving the three girls and Jake together.

"Okay, Haley, you shouldn't be blaming this all on Nathan," Brooke spoke up.

Haley sighed. "I know, Brooke. He's just the easiest person to pin my frustration on."

"Are you actually admitting that Nathan did nothing wrong?" Jake joked.

Haley smiled. "Yes! I'll be sure to apologize later."

"And what are you going to do about this rumour?" Peyton asked.

"Nathan's right, there is nothing I can do. If they dig into my past I'll have to deal with it then."

"Now that that's settled, can we please talk about how cute it was that he was defending you!" Brooke squealed.

Haley laughed and shook her head. "It was nice"

"Nice? That's all you've got to say? If Jake over here defended _me_ like that, we'd be in the bedroom," Peyton added.

Haley's face scrunched up in disgust. "Okay, that was gross and unnecessary, and yes Nathan defending me was beyond nice."

Brooke clapped. "It totally turned you on!" she accused.

Haley blushed. "It did not!"

"Oh, yeah? Why else would you let him put his arm around you like he did?" Brooke countered.

"She's got a point, Hales," Jake piped in.

"Okay, just because Nathan defending me like that was a total turn on, does not mean I have feelings for him! Understood?"

Brooke, Peyton, and Jake nodded in understanding, all three of them knowing their friend was in extreme denial.

* * *

Nathan followed his brother into his office. Lucas closed the door behind them and turned to face Nathan. "What did you want to talk about?" Nathan asked.

"What you did to Haley," Lucas replied evenly.

"Oh."

Silence passed between the two men until Lucas lunged at Nathan out of nowhere, punching him square in the jaw. Nathan saw the attack coming, but took it anyway. He held his jaw and looked at his brother again.

"Feel better?"

"Surprisingly, yeah," Lucas responded. "And I wanted to tell you that if you ever even think about mistreating her again, I'll kill you."

"Don't worry, Luke, if I do anything to hurt Haley again I'll kill myself."

"Good, you would definitely deserve it," Lucas said with a hint of a smile.

Nathan smiled slightly back at his brother. The two did a quick man hug and then exited the office and returned to the family room where they had left their friends. Haley looked up when they entered. Brown met blue and she smiled at Nathan. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked softly.

Nathan nodded and left the room once again, this time heading to the kitchen with Haley following behind. When they arrived he turned and gazed at her intently. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry for being so mean to you before."

"Its fine, Haley. I know you were just scared about what might be brought out because of this stupid rumour."

Haley smiled and hugged him. "Thank you for defending me, you didn't have to do that."

"Of course I had to do it. I'm not about to stand there and watch someone try to hurt you."

She gazed up at him gratefully and pulled away from the hug. "Although, I don't know if i would be thanking you if you did actually punch the guy," she teased.

Nathan laughed. "Don't I know it. You always did hate it when I got into the occasional fight."

"Occasional? Nathan, you threatened to fight people all the time."

"But I never fought _all_ of them. You stopped me most of the time," he winked.

"Lord, what would you have done without me?" she joked.

"I would have been a mess," he replied seriously. "Did you not see me on the cover of all the tabloid magazines?"

"Well, I'm here now. You won't put a toe out of line as long as I'm around," she said, attempting to bring back the joking atmosphere. "Speaking of fighting, why does your cheek look bruised?"

Nathan quickly averted his gaze from her. "Does it? That's weird."

"Nathan," she spoke sternly.

"Lucas punched me," he shrugged.

"Why would he do that?" Haley asked angrily.

"Because of everything I did to you."

"I'm going to kill him," she muttered as she moved to leave the room, but was topped by Nathan's hand on her arm.

"Haley, it's fine, I deserved it. Lucas was just protecting you, please don't say anything to him."

Haley smiled softly at him. "Fine, I won't."

Nathan smiled back. "Promise me we'll keep in touch after I go home."

"I promise." Haley replied. "We won't have to worry about that for a while though, we've still got all the wedding planning for the next few months."

"Actually, I have to go home the day after tomorrow." Nathan revealed. "I was out on injury, and now that I'm pretty well healed my coach wants me to start practicing with the team again to have me ready for games in a couple weeks."

"I'll still be sure to keep in touch. You're actually lucky to go home now, before Brooke becomes bridezilla."

They both chuckled knowing how true the statement was. "Just say the word and I'll be here to save you from the madness."

"I'll definitely keep that in mind."

They laughed together once more and hugged a final time. Nathan and Haley pulled apart and walked back into the family room to rejoin their friends, forgetting about all the drama that occurred earlier on for the rest of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

I just need to express my feelings on this week's episode. I expected so much from Brooke's wedding and I was so let down! In my opinion it was mediocre and pretty boring, and the part where Skills stood up annoyed me to no end. I did like the speeches though, especially how Haley talked about the high school years. I don't know, every other OTH wedding has been amazing, in my opinion, I wish this episode had that same spark.

Anyway, here's the next chapter, read and review guys! :)

* * *

Chapter 10

The six friends were currently seated at Lucas and Brooke's kitchen table eating lunch. Jake and Peyton had announced earlier that they had to leave New York early the next morning to get back to work. They and Nathan would all be leaving at the same time to catch their flight back to Los Angeles. Since Haley could ultimately work from wherever, she was staying to help Brooke and Lucas continue to plan the wedding. The friends decided to act like lunch was their last meal together because later on that night Peyton, Jake, and Nathan would all be too busy preparing for their travel the next day that dinner may be pushed to the backburner.

So far, lunch had been full of fun and laughter for everyone. They had talked briefly of the upcoming wedding before the topic was changed to Brooke's birthday at the end of next month. She announced that it would be held in Tree Hill like the wedding and it would only be the six of them with possibly a couple other close friends. Everyone agreed to Brooke's plans and immediately confirmed their presence. Everybody couldn't wait to return to their home town, none of them had visited in quite a few years. After Brooke's birthday plans had been discussed, the topic changed to the departure of half the group the next day.

Currently, Haley was complaining about Brooke's sure to be obnoxious behaviour. "I can't believe you guys are leaving me to deal with bridezilla Brooke, alone," she whined.

"Hey! I am not a bridezilla," Brooke defended.

"You may not be yet, but in a few weeks I'm sure you'll be a full out raging bitch when it comes to planning this wedding," Haley replied.

Brooke glared at the smaller girl. "Whatever, Tutor Girl. Luke do you think I'll be a bitch too?"

Lucas tugged at the collar of his white polo shirt and laughed nervously. "What? Of course not, Pretty Girl."

Everyone but his fiancée laughed at Lucas' attempt at lying to Brooke. She glared at him as well. "Just you guys wait. I'll show you that I'm not a bridezilla at all!"

"Sure you will," Nathan said while fake coughing.

Once again, Brooke shot a glare and stood up. "Come on, Hales. Speaking of my wedding day, everything _has_ to be perfect and we need to go decide on some more plans."

Nathan clicked his tongue while shaking his head. "She turned so quickly."

Everyone laughed as Brooke exited the kitchen with a scared looking Haley trailing behind slowly. "Can you go any slower?" they heard Brooke yell somewhere in the apartment, causing the four leftover occupants of the table to burst out laughing once more.

* * *

Haley and Brooke walked into Brooke's bedroom. "Sorry about yelling, I just wanted to make it look like we were actually going to do wedding planning," Brooke explained.

"Aren't we?"

"Not yet."

"Then what are we doing?" Haley asked confused.

"You're going to tell me why your apology to Nathan took so long last night."

"Brooke, we were only gone for like ten minutes," Haley reasoned.

"My point exactly! Saying sorry for being a bitch does not take ten minutes."

"All I did was apologize, thank him for defending me, and we promised to keep in touch."

"Wait, you guys are actually going to keep talking after he leaves?"

"Yeah. I mean, it's been seven years, we need to reconnect."

"By reconnect, do you mean as friends, or more than that?" Brooke asked lightly.

Haley blew out a breath. "Brooke, I- I,"

Brooke rubbed her back comfortingly. "What is it, Hales?"

"I think I still have feelings for Nathan." she whispered.

Brooke nodded. "I know, honey."

"I just, I don't trust him. Honestly, I don't think I'll ever fully trust him again either, he did too much damage."

"That's more than understandable."

"What am I supposed to do then?"

"If I were you, I would just keep it casual for now. Keep in touch, hang out when you want, go out to eat or whatever, and see where it goes. Just let it all play out."

Haley smiled at her best friend and hugged her, preventing herself from letting tears fall. It seemed to Haley that she had cried more during the last three and a half days than she had in last seven years.

"Now it's time to actually get to planning my wedding! Do me a favour and go get that list you made, quickly!" Brooke said, back in drill sergeant mode in seconds.

Haley exited the room shaking her head. She passed the kitchen on the way to her bedroom and heard Lucas call out to her. "Told her to shove it already, Hales?"

"No, not yet. She asked me to get the list I wrote of everything we need to plan."

"She actually asked?" Peyton inquired.

"It was more like an order," Haley shrugged.

Haley turned to Lucas and saw that he looked extremely pale. "You alright, Luke?"

"I just thought of something."

"What is it?" Jake asked.

"I'm going to be alone with a monster once Haley leaves," he shuddered.

Everyone laughed. "I promise to stay until the planning in finished, as long as nothing comes up."

Lucas leapt off his chair and kneeled in front of Haley, beginning to bow down to her. "Thank you!"

"Want to get that list before I'm fifty, Haley?" The group heard Brooke yell from down the hall.

Haley winced. "I better go before she kills me," she said and exited the kitchen, getting the list from her room and proceeded back to Brooke.

* * *

Haley walked down the hallway slowly. Dinner had been finished about two hours ago and everyone was off doing their own thing. She stopped at one of the bedroom doors and knocked gently. She heard a shuffling from inside the room and the door opened moments later.

"Hey," Nathan greeted.

"Hi,"

"What are you doing here?"

"I know how you always hated packing, so I thought I could keep you company," she smiled.

Nathan smirked. "Are you willing to pack for me?"

Haley shook her head. "I'll help, no way I'm doing it all for you."

Nathan opened the door wider and Haley walked in. She surveyed the room and took in how mass amounts of clothing spread throughout it. She walked over to the suitcase sitting open on the bed and saw that Nathan had just thrown in his clothes haphazardly. She laughed and turned to face him. "You're never going to fit all your clothes in there if you don't fold them, you know."

He shrugged. "I think I can make it work."

Haley nodded and sat on the bed and watched him begin to throw his clothes into the suitcase, knowing perfectly well that he would not succeed.

Ten minutes later, Nathan had finally managed to collect all his clothes and put them into his suitcase. He went to close it and found that it would not zip up, no matter how hard he tried. Haley sat next to the bag and laughed at Nathan's unusual attempts at closing it. He turned to her. "It's not funny! I just did all that work and now this stupid bag won't close!"

"I told you it wouldn't work. You need to fold the clothes!"

"I don't know how to fold!"

"Then how did you get all those clothes here to begin with?"

"My housekeeper does my laundry and folds it," he shrugged.

Haley's mouth dropped open in shock. "You, Nathan Scott, are the laziest man on the planet."

Nathan ignored her statement. "Will you help me?" he asked imploringly.

Haley laughed at how desperate he seemed. "Fine." She opened the suitcase and dumped its contents onto the bed. She began neatly folding each item of clothing and passing it to Nathan to place in the suitcase. After twenty minutes, Haley had finished folding all the clothes and Nathan had placed them neatly back into his bag. He closed it and zipped it up, problem free.

Haley smiled satisfied. "You can admit it now."

"Admit what?"

"That I'm the best."

Nathan rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine, you're the best, Haley."

They both laughed and Haley glanced at the alarm clock sitting on the bedside table. It was just after ten o'clock. "I should go, you need to get up early tomorrow," she said.

Nathan nodded and smiled. "I probably won't see you tomorrow, so I'll say bye now."

"Bye, Nathan," she replied as she hugged him quickly. She turned and smiled one last time at him before exiting the bedroom and closing the door behind her.

* * *

Haley awoke several hours later to the high pitch ring of her cell phone. She glanced at her alarm clock and saw that it was almost three in the morning. Becoming slightly worried about what could cause someone to call her this late at night; she quickly grabbed her phone and flipped it open.

"Hello," she greeted groggily.

"Haley?" her sister Quinn responded, her voice cracking.

Haley shot up in her bed upon hearing her sister's voice. "What's wrong?"

"It's daddy."

Haley's breathing slowed. "What happened?"

"H-He had a-a heart at-tack," Quinn stuttered.

Tears began pouring down Haley's face. "He's okay though, right?"

"No. The doctor just told us he didn't make it through surgery," she sobbed.

"When?" Haley asked, barely able to speak.

"It happened a few hours ago. He woke up in pain and then collapsed."

"Why didn't you call me then?" Haley demanded.

"We didn't want to worry you," Quinn cried.

"Well that was stupid, now wasn't it? You thought it was just for the best that I don't know my dad had a heart attack?" Haley yelled.

Quinn whimpered. "I'm sorry, Haley."

Haley shook her head, tears still streaming down her face. "I'm sorry for yelling. I'm going to head to the airport now and get on the earliest flight home. Okay?"

"No," Quinn protested. "Just wait until morning, you should get as much rest as you can right now."

"Quinn, I just want to come home and be with everyone. I'm not going to get any sleep anymore tonight. Okay?" she sobbed.

"Haley, it's okay. Please, wait until morning so you can at least tell everyone there where you're going. I've got to go, mom's a mess and I have to call everyone else."

Haley took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down. "Okay, I'll wait. I love you, Quinn."

"I love you, too, Hales. Bye."

"Bye," Haley whispered and hung up her phone. She sat in her bed sobbing. Her dad was gone. She didn't know what to do; she loved her dad _so_ much. Haley felt guilty that she hadn't made an effort to go see her parents in Tree Hill in a couple years. She always told them she was too busy to visit, when in reality she was just afraid to return home after everything that happened with Nathan, now it was too late to go visit her father.

Haley jumped out of her bed and threw open her suitcase that was lying on the floor. She hastily pulled open the dresser drawers and began throwing her clothes in it, vaguely aware of the irony in how she was lecturing Nathan about doing the same thing she was, only hours before. Luckily, she managed to close her bag and walked into her attached bathroom and threw all her make-up and hair products into a separate bag.

Tears still streaming down her face at an alarming rate, Haley walked back into her bedroom and picked up both her bags and pulled the bedroom door open. She knew that she had promised Quinn to wait until the morning to get on a flight home, but she couldn't. All Haley wanted was to be in Tree Hill with her mother and sister and wait for the rest of her siblings. She needed to hug her mom and hold onto her for dear life, or else Haley felt like she was slowly drowning in a sea of pain.

Haley walked down the hall towards the front door, too devastated to care about how noisy she was being. As she neared the door, she felt a hand clasp around her wrist. She turned and saw Nathan looking at her with nothing but concern. Upon seeing her tearstained face, he only became more concerned.

"Haley, what's wrong?"

Haley's only response was a sob and Nathan pulled her to his chest, rubbing her back softly. "M-my dad."

"What happened?" Nathan asked soothingly.

"H-he d-died."

"What?" Nathan asked shocked and pulled her away, hoping she could explain what exactly happened.

Haley took a deep breath. "He had a heart attack. Quinn just called and told me."

Nathan wordlessly pulled her back to him and rubbed her back again, as she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest. After she managed to calm down, Haley pulled back slightly and gazed silently into Nathan's eyes. Seconds later, her lips crashed onto his in a passionate kiss.

Nathan was caught completely off guard and pulled away. "Haley, you don't want to do this."

She looked at him. "It hurts, Nathan. Take away the pain. Please," she begged and crashed her lips onto his once again.

This time, Nathan responded to the kiss and hugged Haley to him. He began backing them to his bedroom while Haley tugged at his t-shirt, pulling it over his head and throwing it on the floor on their way. They reached Nathan's room and he pushed the door open and then closed it once they were both inside, not breaking the kiss once. Once inside, he lifted her white tank top over her head and threw it in the corner of the room, leaving them both completely shirtless.

Nathan and Haley continued kissing hastily as he backed them to the bed and fell onto it. Haley pushed his boxers down his legs using her feet, Nathan kicking them off when they made it around his ankles. He pulled back and slid her pyjama shorts down her legs and dropped them on the ground. He gazed at her naked body in wonder. "You're so beautiful," he whispered.

Haley smiled and forced his lips back to hers. Nathan braced his weight on his forearms, shuddering as she raked her fingernails across is back. Nathan moved his hand and cupped one of her breasts and slowly plunged into her. They both moaned at the sensation and Nathan immediately began thrusting in and out of her, Haley meeting him each time. Nathan moved his lips to her neck and sucked on her pulse point, making sure to leave a mark.

The two continued meeting each other thrust for thrust, until out of nowhere Haley's inner muscles began clenching uncontrollably around Nathan's length; she bit into his shoulder to prevent herself from screaming as the waves of pleasure washed over her. As Haley lost herself, Nathan went over the edge as well, spilling himself deep inside of her. They came down from their high and Nathan lay limp inside of her before pulling out and rolling off her minutes later. He kissed her gently on the temple and wrapped his arms around her and she curled into him.

"I love you, Nathan," she whispered almost inaudibly.

"I love you, too, Hales," he responded softly and kissed the top of her head. Moments later, both were sound asleep.

* * *

Nathan woke hours later and saw that Haley was still fast asleep in his arms. He gently let go of her and got up. He stared at her for minutes, not wanting to leave her when she needed him the most. He knew he had to though; coach would kill him if he wasn't back practising later today. Nathan searched the room and found a piece of paper and a pen. He racked his brain for what to write to her, until he finally figured what to say. After he finished writing he read over what he had said.

_Hales,_

_Last night was amazing. I'm so sorry about your dad. Call me after you read this, I need to know you're okay, and let me know when the funeral is and I promise I'll be there no matter what._

_I love you,_

_Nathan_

He was pleased with what he had written and placed the note next to the alarm clock to ensure that she would see it. He walked over to his bag and rolled it out of the room. He turned and glanced at Haley one last time before closing the bedroom door.

Nathan walked into the kitchen and saw Jake and Peyton waiting for him. They smiled at him and he quickly decided to not tell them about what had happened to Jimmy James. "You guys ready to go?" he asked.

"Yeah," Jake and Peyton replied and the three exited the apartment and headed to the airport.

* * *

Haley was woken by the obnoxious buzzing of the alarm clock. Unwilling to open her eyes, she blindly swatted at the offending object, unknowingly causing a small piece of paper to fall off and float under the bed in the process. After failing to hit the snooze button on the clock, Haley opened her eyes. It was then that she realized she wasn't in her bedroom. Come to think of it, she had no idea why she hadn't realized before because the alarm clock was going off and she hadn't set hers.

Haley realized she was lying in Nathan's bed, naked, and the events of the previous night came rushing back into her mind. She remembered Quinn's phone call, all the way to having sex with Nathan, and she vaguely remembered telling Nathan she loved him as she fell asleep, and him responding. Haley looked around the room and saw that Nathan and his luggage were gone. She must have been wrong about him responding to her _I love you_, because he definitely would not have left if he said it back.

Haley knew she screwed up big time with him. She shouldn't have admitted that to him yet, they just agreed to be civil like two days ago. Then she remembered again that her father had died early this morning. She leapt out of the bed and threw on her pyjamas and ran to her get her bags that she had left at the front door the previous night, tears once again welling in her eyes from thinking about everything that had happened the night before. All Haley knew was that she had to get to Tree Hill, North Carolina as fast as humanly possible, she was beginning to drown in the pain a whole lot quicker._  
_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Haley rushed out of Nathan's bedroom and met Brooke just outside the door. Tears were pouring down her face again after remembering the phone call from Quinn she had received early in the morning. Brooke looked worriedly at her best friend. "What's wrong, Hales?"

Haley stared at her friend, struggling to figure out what to tell her. "Quinn called me last night," she managed to get out before sobs began to rack her body. Brooke stepped closer to her best friend and enveloped her in a hug, soothingly rubbing her back.

Haley managed to calm herself down after hugging Brooke for a few minutes. "My dad had a heart attack last night," she whispered.

Brooke pulled away shocked. "He's okay though, right?" she asked, deep down already knowing the answer.

Haley shook her head. "He d-died."

Brooke immediately pulled her friend back into a hug and let her cry on her shoulder. Tears began welling in her own eyes from thinking about the loss of Jimmy James. Brooke's own parents neglected her all through her childhood and so she used to spend an endless amount of time in the James household. Brooke had met Haley and Lucas on the playground in preschool, the two of them had already known each other through their parents and Brooke quickly became best friends with both. Through spending so much time in Haley's house from such a young age, Brooke essentially became another child to Lydia and Jimmy and Brooke thought of them as her parents, and Haley's siblings as her siblings as well.

Brooke let her tears fall silently as she continued to comfort her distraught friend. Minutes later, Lucas walked into the hall and saw two of the people he cared most about in the world crying in each other's arms. He walked swiftly up to them, worried. "What's wrong?"

The two girls pulled away from the hug and Haley shook her head, signalling to Brooke that she was unable to tell Lucas what happened and that Brooke would have to do it. "Um, last night Jimmy had a heart attack. He didn't make it."

"Oh my God," Lucas whispered and pulled both girls to his chest. "Are you okay, Hales?"

"No, not really," she whimpered.

Haley pulled away from Lucas and began walking to her luggage at the front door, Brooke and Lucas following behind her. "I have to go to Tree Hill."

"We're going with you!" Brooke spoke up.

"Okay." Brooke exited the room to go pack herself and Lucas, leaving Haley and Lucas waiting in the foyer.

"Are you sure we're going to be able to get a flight this late of notice?" Lucas asked.

Haley shrugged. "If not, we'll drive."

Lucas nodded and didn't bother trying to start a new conversation, already knowing his friend was in too much pain to want to talk at all. Brooke returned wheeling a full suitcase behind her minutes later. "Okay, I'm ready."

Lucas and Haley remained silent and exited the apartment, walking towards the elevators with Lucas wheeling Haley's luggage for her. The elevator ride to the lobby was completely silent, each occupant thinking about their unexpected trip to Tree Hill and the reason behind it. As the elevator doors opened, the three friends stepped out and despite it being only about eight in the morning, the paparazzi were once again camped right outside the front doors. Haley noticed some flashes already beginning to go off at the sight of her inside and she sighed. "Can we just wait in here until our car gets here?"

"Of course," Lucas replied while gently rubbing her back.

"Do we have tickets yet?" Brooke asked.

Lucas shook his head. "Not yet."

Brooke whipped out her iPhone and launched her _TripAssist by Expedia_ app to book them a flight. "Apparently not many New Yorkers fly to Tree Hill airport, so I managed to get us first class seats on the flight that takes off at noon. I also checked us in so we just have to drop our bags off and go through security."

Haley smiled. "Thanks, Brooke."

Brooke nodded and looked out the front doors. "I think I can see our car waiting out front, let's go."

Lucas grabbed Brooke and Haley's suitcases, opting to carry them rather than wheeling them out of the apartment building. Haley put on her sunglasses and Brooke put her arm around the shorter girl as the three friends walked to their car. The two girls immediately got into the car and ignored the paparazzi completely while the driver got out and helped Lucas load the suitcases, and then they were off to the airport.

Surprisingly, traffic wasn't too bad on their way and the group managed to get through airport security and to their gate with an hour to spare. Lucas and Brooke sat down next each other with Haley across from Brooke and the three friends waited to begin boarding the plane.

"Do you want me to call Jake, Peyton, and Nathan to tell them what happened for you, Hales?" Brooke asked.

"I don't think their flight would have landed yet, but you can leave messages for Jake and Peyton, thanks, Brooke."

"What about Nathan?"

"He already knows," Haley mumbled.

"Wait, how does he already know?" Brooke asked confused.

Haley looked to Brooke's right and saw that Lucas had both his ear buds in and was listening to his iPod. "I have to tell you something," she admitted.

Brooke looked at Haley concerned. "What is it?"

Haley ran a hand through her hair. "Last night after I got off the phone with Quinn I started packing and I was going to fly to Tree Hill like that second. Then I got to the front door and Nathan came out because I guess he heard me and he stopped me from leaving."

"That's when you told him?" Brooke interjected.

"Yeah. Well, I was crying really hard so he knew something was wrong and I told him."

"What did he say?"

"He didn't really say much. He was just really shocked, and then he hugged me."

Brooke nodded. "I think we all are. I'm glad he stopped you from leaving though, I would have been worried if you weren't at the apartment this morning."

Haley nodded back at her friend and averted her eyes, not wanting to reveal what else happened between her and Nathan earlier.

Brooke sighed. "What else happened, Haley?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've got that look, Haley. The one where you try to not look someone in the eye when there's something you don't want to tell them."

Haley moved her gaze directly to Brooke's eyes, her own once again brimming with tears. "I slept with him," she whispered.

Brooke's eyes bulged. "Can you repeat that? I think I heard wrong."

Haley sighed and repeated herself. "I had sex with Nathan."

"Nope, I definitely heard right. What were you thinking, Haley?"

"I was thinking that my dad was dead and Nathan had always been able to comfort me in ways that nobody else could," Haley explained tearfully.

Brooke looked sympathetically at the other girl. "So you initiated it then?"

Haley nodded. "That's not all though, Brooke," she whispered.

"What else could you have possibly done?"

"I told him I loved him," she confessed.

Brooke's eyes bulged even wider than they had before. "YOU DID WHAT?" she yelled.

Haley winced and slunk back against her chair crying. "I'm such an idiot."

Brooke looked around her and saw that Lucas had fallen asleep and no one else seemed to have been close enough to them to be listening to their conversation. She got up and sat in the chair next to Haley. "You're not an idiot."

"Brooke, I told my ex-boyfriend from seven years ago that broke my heart, that I love him, that's pretty idiotic."

"Well did he say it back?"

"I thought I heard him say it, but it was just as we were falling asleep so I don't remember for sure. I don't think he did though. I woke up and he was gone, not even a note left. I probably completely scared him away."

"Hey, you know what?"

"What?" Haley sniffled.

"If he didn't say it back, he's the idiot. And there's no way you could scare that boy off from you, if anything he may just be confused at how quickly things are apparently moving between you guys."

Haley shrugged. "Maybe. I'm more confused than I ever have been in my entire life. I mean, I wasn't lying, I do love Nathan. I just can't trust him, and I don't think I'll ever be able to. I don't even know why i said it though, I'm nowhere near ready to be with Nathan _that_ way."

"I'm sure you guys will work through it, just call him after our plane lands."

Haley shook her head in protest. "I can't talk to him right now."

"Aren't you going to tell him when the funeral is?"

Again, Haley shook her head. "He's just getting back to training with his team. He doesn't have time to fly all the way to North Carolina for a funeral."

"Hales, it's not _just_ a funeral. It's your dad's funeral, I know he and Jimmy weren't on good terms after you two broke up, but if you needed him, Nathan would definitely be able to make time to fly across the country. That boy would move mountains for you if he could, trust me."

"I can't, Brooke. I don't want to interfere with his life. Besides, I don't need him; I'll have you and Lucas there."

Brooke sighed heavily. "Okay. I can't force you to do anything, but I think you're making a mistake by not calling him."

Haley remained silent and closed her eyes, attempting to rid her mind of thoughts of Nathan Scott and her father's death. She heard Brooke rise from the seat next to her and begin dialling a number on her phone. Haley heard Brooke leave a message on both Jake and Peyton's phones to tell them of the tragedy that had struck the James family, tears beginning to well in Haley's eyes again after hearing Brooke speak of her late father.

"Haley, I'm going to get a water bottle at one of the stores they have, do you want anything?" she heard Brooke ask.

"No, thanks," she mumbled with her eyes still closed.

Minutes later, Haley heard Brooke drop what sounded like a magazine onto the chair next to her. She opened her eyes and looked at what Brooke had dropped. She was right, it had been a magazine. A magazine that had a picture of an eighteen year old Haley and Nathan at prom, with one of the recent pictures of her and Nathan when he had his arm around her placed smaller on the corner of the front page. Haley stared blankly at the page and read the headline, _High school Sweethearts Haley James and Nathan Scott: Reunited!_ She skimmed the page and saw several subheadings highlighting information in what she guessed to be a lengthy article including a brief summary of their relationship, why they broke up in the first place, the years of not contacting each other, and how they had finally reunited and were dating again.

Immediately, Haley silently flipped to the page about how they broke up. She breathed a slight sigh of relief when she didn't read anything about a pregnancy, but that Nathan had cheated on her, with Rachel Gatina. Out of the corner of her eye Haley saw Brooke leaning of her shoulder reading the article as well.

"What a whore. I bet you any money it was Rachel that went to the magazine with that lame cheating story and the prom picture," Brooke said.

"Probably," Haley replied seething.

She began reading the six page article that included several pictures of her and Nathan, from the beginning. She noticed that almost every fact they had written in the article was completely false or at least fairly far from the truth. The only thing they had written about correctly was both their rises to stardom and how they hadn't spoken in several years.

When she finished, Haley scoffed. "Its garbage, and the very last thing I need right now." She pulled out her phone and began texting Millie, _contact Nathan's agent, Clay and put together a statement about this article. Confirm the relationship, but everything else is false._ She sent the message and waited in silence for a reply. Her phone beeped minutes later, _doing it as we speak. _She read the message and closed her phone, not bothering to respond.

Haley picked up the magazine and threw it into the nearest trash can. "I'm going to kill Rachel."

Brooke nodded. "Are you okay?"

"Not really."

Brooke frowned and got up to hug her friend. "Millie will handle the magazine thing; it'll blow over in a week or two. You and Nathan will talk eventually and sort through everything that happened. We'll be in Tree Hill in a matter of hours and you'll be able to grieve with your family, we'll go to the funeral and Lucas and I will be with you every step of the way. Everything's going to be okay."

Brooke heard Haley sniffle lightly and wrapped her arms tighter around the shorter girl. As they embraced they heard a woman calling to board all people seated in first class on the flight to Tree Hill to board the plane. They pulled away and Brooke woke Lucas, and the three friends boarded the plane and found their seats. Haley sat down in her seat and fell asleep listening to Brooke fill Lucas in on the magazine fiasco, as well as everything Haley had revealed while he slept, she winced slightly when Lucas grunted after Brooke informed him that she and Nathan had slept together, but fell asleep instantly afterwards.

* * *

The plane landed at Tree Hill airport after a short one hour flight. Brooke, Lucas, and Haley exited the plane and headed for the baggage claim area. "How are we getting to your house, Hales?" Brooke asked while they waited for their luggage.

"A cab I guess," she shrugged.

Lucas shook his head in protest. "We'll just rent a car. That way we don't have to be a burden on anyone while we're here."

Brooke and Haley agreed, and after finally grabbing their suitcases the group of three headed to the car rental desks. After about thirty minutes Lucas had managed to rent a small sedan and the friends headed to the parking lot to pick up the rented car. When they arrived they were shown to their car and promptly exited the airport parking lot with Lucas at the wheel and Brooke and Haley sitting side by side in the back seat.

"Are you two going to stay with your mom and Keith, Luke?" Haley asked softly on the drive to her childhood home.

"Yeah, I'll just call her from your house later to let her know."

"Uh, Luke?" Brooke said.

"Yeah?"

"There's not much room at your mom's house for us except your old room and I doubt Karen will be okay with us sharing a bedroom," she reminded.

Lucas sighed. "She'll just have to get over it, there's no point in staying at hotel when we can make room at home."

Brooke was about to protest when Haley spoke up. "You can stay at my house, Brooke."

"Hales, I can't. All your siblings are going to be there and I don't want to take up even more room, especially when you need to be with your family."

"Brooke, you are family. I need you just as much as I need the rest of my family. I'm sure we can make room for you at home, as long as you're okay with sharing a bed with me like we used to?"

Brooke smiled and threw an arm around her friend. "That's the only way I could ever sleep at your house."

"Glad that's settled then. I'll go home later tonight and leave this car with you guys in case you need to go anywhere before we meet up again," Lucas spoke up.

The girls nodded in agreement and the car fell into silence as they continued the drive to the James household. A couple minutes later the black sedan turned onto a quiet street and began to slow. Haley stared out the window, remembering countless memories that had taken place on this street. Haley continued silently staring out her window when an old home sitting on the corner came into view. The house had a cozy looking front porch with a narrow walkway leading to it from the side walk. It had blue panelled siding with a dark red front door. Overall, the house was quaint and Haley smiled because that was exactly why she loved her childhood home.

Lucas parked on the side of the road in front of the house and Haley remained staring at the home. Memories all including her father were flooding through her mind. After sitting in the silent, parked car for a few minutes Brooke and Lucas began to become worried about their friend. "Hales?" Brooke said trying to get the other girl's attention.

Haley heard her friend and began rapidly trying to blink the forming tears away. She brushed her face to make sure none had actually fallen and turned to Brooke and Lucas. "I guess we should go on in then."

Lucas and Brooke had no time to ask if their friend was okay because she had already hurriedly opened and closed her car door and was waiting for her friends to exit the car as well. She mentally braced herself for the flooding of memories to come once she stepped into her home. She saw Brooke and Lucas had joined her on the sidewalk and three began walking up to Haley's front door. Knowing that her family had no idea she was in Tree Hill already, she knocked on the front door and waited for someone to answer. She took a deep breath and was vaguely aware of Brooke's hand comfortingly rubbing her back.

After waiting at the door for what seemed like hours but was actually only half a minute, Brooke, Lucas, and Haley heard footsteps approaching the front door. They heard the lock click and watched as the door knob was turned slowly. The trio was met by an unkempt Quinn James, her hair was a mess, eyes were bloodshot, and her face had faint red splotches present from crying. Quinn locked eyes with her younger sister and Haley threw her arms around her, the two siblings stood in the doorway crying in each other's arms over the tragic loss of their father as Brooke and Lucas looked on feeling utterly helpless.


	12. Chapter 12

Can I just say that I thought this week's episode was complete crap. They went about the bullying issue in the wrong way and made it almost seem like a joke. I also need to say that if I were one of the bullies and three twenty something women dressed in superhero costumes came up to me and tried to threaten me, I would laugh my ass off. Hopefully next week is better!

* * *

Chapter 12

"The funeral is going to be on the 21st."

"Are you sure that will give you enough time to get everything in order, Mom?" Haley asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine.

"Mom, it's that only gives you tomorrow basically to plan since it's already late now," Quinn pointed out.

"I'll be fine," Lydia repeated.

Haley sighed. "Let us know if there's anything we can do to help."

Lydia nodded and put on a smile as she left the room to make all the necessary arrangements for Jimmy's funeral. It was later the same day of Haley, Brooke, and Lucas' arrival and all her other siblings had managed to fly in now. They were all currently sitting in the James' family room and watched their mother leave, all of them worried about how she was coping with the sudden loss of her husband. Haley's brothers Matt, Brian, and David were sitting together in the corner of the room trying to keep it together while Haley, Quinn, Taylor, and Vivian were seated on the other side in silence as well. Brooke and Lucas had gone to Karen and Keith's to give the family some privacy and Brooke was due back in about half an hour.

After sitting in silence with her siblings for a few minutes, Haley got up and left the room. She entered the foyer and slipped on her shoes and left the house needing some air.

* * *

Nathan Scott looked at his phone for the millionth time since his plane had landed hours earlier. He had expected Haley to call him by now; she would have seen his note hours ago. Maybe she just didn't feel the need to call him, she did ask him to _take the pain away_, maybe that's all their night together had been for her: something to block out the pain. Nathan was extremely worried that he had scared Haley off by telling her she loved him in his note. Sure, she had said it first before they fell asleep but it could have just been a slip, they always said _I love you_ after they were together like that.

He sighed and shoved his message-less phone angrily back into his pants pocket. He at least would have expected a phone call from someone to tell him when Jimmy's funeral was. Nathan tried to rid his mind of doubts about whether Haley would call as he exited his car. He had a meeting with his coach about what his practice schedule would look like before starting to play games again.

He walked confidently into his coach's office, still thinking about Haley, who was across the country.

Elsewhere in Los Angeles, Peyton Sawyer-Jagielski sat next to her husband on the couch watching TV. She moved her hand to feel for something in her pocket and noticed that both her pockets were empty. She moved to get off the couch to look for the item in question.

"Where are you going?" Jake asked.

"I just noticed I don't have my phone, and I don't remember turning it on after our plane landed so I'm going to go get it."

Jake nodded and Peyton left the room and found her phone in her purse on the kitchen counter. She turned it on and saw that she had a voicemail from Brooke. Peyton called her voicemail and listened to the message, _Hi, Peyt. Um, I'm just calling to let you know that last night Jimmy had a heart attack. He, uh, he didn't make it so Haley, Lucas, and I are flying out to Tree Hill. Call one of us when you get this, love you, bye. _Peyton erased the message and walked back to Jake wearing a shocked expression. Jake looked at her as she entered and immediately became worried by her expression.

"What's wrong?"

"Brooke left a message on my phone."

"About what?"

"Jimmy had a heart attack last night," she revealed.

"Jimmy who?" Jake asked puzzled.

"Jimmy James."

"Oh my God, is he okay?"

Peyton shook her head and swallowed thickly. "He died."

"We should call Haley."

"Yeah," Peyton agreed and began dialling her friend. The phone rang several times before Peyton heard Haley's voicemail. She sighed and hung up her phone, opting to not leave a message.

Jake looked at her questioningly after she hung up. "No answer," Peyton explained.

"She probably just doesn't want to talk to anyone right now."

"Yeah, you're right," Peyton said as she sat back down on the couch next to her husband, looking at her phone worriedly.

* * *

Haley had been walking aimlessly around Tree Hill for the past fifteen minutes. She had reached the Riverwalk and in the back of her mind knew exactly where she was heading. Minutes later she arrived at _the table._ She stared at it long and hard, one of the worst memories she has resurfacing immediately. _Whatever, you knew you were pregnant for less than a day, Haley. Stop acting like you lost something huge._ Haley continued to stare at the table emotionless. After staring and reliving that awful day, she turned and this time she knew exactly where she was headed.

She walked into Tric and saw that it was pretty busy. It was then that she remembered that it was evening on a Saturday night in February; with not much else to do in town, the place was bound to be busy. Haley walked straight to the bar and sat down. She looked up and managed to catch the bartender's eye and he began walking over.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"Three shots of whatever your strongest liquor is," Haley muttered.

The bartender brought up three shot glasses and filled each one with liquid. Haley grabbed the first one and knocked it back. She winced slightly at the burning sensation as the liquor ran down her throat but ignored it and grabbed the second shot glass which she swallowed quickly as well. Haley eyed the third shot glass and grabbed it. She held it in her hand and gazed at it intently. Even though she was already slightly buzzed, she knew that it was so unlike her to drink when she was upset. Haley pondered putting down the liquor filled glass and going home, but then remembered that all she had to return to was a pain filled house, somewhere she couldn't deal with being. With that thought in mind, Haley drank her final shot and then signalled to the bartender for more, wanting to forget the last twenty four hours completely for a little while.

* * *

Brooke walked into the silent James house. She had just had dinner with Karen, Keith, Lucas, and his sister Lily. Brooke walked quietly up to Haley's bedroom and saw that it was empty. She walked back downstairs and saw all of Haley's siblings sitting silently in the family room. They looked up at her when she entered and she gazed around but saw no sign of her best friend.

"Do any of you guys know where Haley is?"

"She left about forty five minutes ago but she didn't say where she was going," Quinn replied.

"I'm really worried about her, it's not like Haley to just leave and not let anyone know where she is," Vivian spoke up.

Brooke sighed. "I'll go find her."

Brooke left the house and got in the rental car. "If I were Haley right now, where would I go?" she spoke aloud. She pondered her question for several minutes. She knew Haley would not go to the Rivercourt, but she did always love the River front. Brooke turned on her car and drove to the River front hoping to find her friend there.

Brooke arrived at her destination and parked the car. If Haley were there, there was only one place she would be. Brooke walked down to Nathan and Haley's table but found that her friend was nowhere to be seen. She walked back to her car and went to the one other place she thought Haley might be, knowing it was a long shot.

Brooke arrived at the warehouse looking club and managed to find a parking space. She walked into Tric and looked around. She decided to start at the bar and work her way through the club. Finding her best friend wasn't as hard as she thought it might be. As she neared the bar, Brooke saw Haley sitting on one of the barstools with five empty shot glasses in front of her and some pervy guy in the stool next to her staring at her boobs.

Brooke marched up to her friend and glared at the guy beside her. "Back off, buddy." She turned to the bartender who happened to be in front of her. "What's your name?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh, Owen."

"Hi, Owen. You see this girl?" she asked while gesturing to Haley.

"Yeah, what about her?"

"She happens to be my best friend. She also doesn't drink very often."

"Why is that my problem?"

Brooke shook her head, annoyed. "How many drinks has she had tonight?"

"Five shots of tequila."

Brooke glared at Owen. "I'm going to kill you."

"What did I do?" he asked outraged.

"When she sat down, how did she look?"

"Upset about something," he shrugged.

"Yet you still let her down a bunch of shots?"

Owen remained silent and Brooke glared at him again before turning to Haley. "Haley? Hales, come on, get up. I'm going to take you home."

Haley didn't respond but made an attempt to get off the stool. She stumbled forward and Brooke tried to support her. Owen came out from behind the bar and put an arm around Haley's waist like Brooke had done and the two walked her to the car. Once they had gotten Haley situated, Brooke turned to Owen. "You better hope I never see you again, because I am beyond pissed that you would serve her."

Owen put his hands up in surrender. "I was just doing my job and served the booze, it's _not_ my job to care why the people are drinking it."

"So, you support people walking into that bar and getting wasted to run away from their problems?"

"No, but she'll get over whatever was bothering her," he shrugged.

"You don't get it, do you? What she's dealing with is not something she's just _going to get over_. Her entire world has been shaken!"

"It's still not my problem, lady," he said and began walking back to Tric.

"Wow, you're an asshole," Brooke yelled after him and got in the driver's seat of her car. She looked in the rear view mirror and saw that Haley had her head leaned against the window and was staring blankly out it. Brooke sighed and drove them back to Haley's house.

Once they had made it back, Brooke parked on the road and got out of the car. She walked to the passenger side back door and opened it. Haley didn't move or speak to signal she was aware of what was going on and Brooke took it as a sign that her friend would be unable to walk on her own. She put her arm around Haley's waist and struggled to lift her out of the car, but after a few minutes managed to get her friend standing up.

Apparently, the movements of the past minutes made Haley's stomach more uneasy than it already would be, she turned slightly, bent over, and emptied the contents of her stomach in the grass beside their car. Brooke grimaced and pulled her friend back up. She pulled a tissue out of her purse and wiped her inebriated friend's mouth before throwing it away, not really caring about littering at the moment.

Brooke began walking Haley and herself to the front door slowly. After about five minutes, they finally made it to the house's front porch and Brooke knocked on the door. It opened seconds later to reveal Quinn and Vivian both looking worried. Relief passed over their features as they took in the sight of their youngest sibling, but it arrived again moments later when they realized how heavily Brooke was supporting her.

"What happened to her?" Vivian asked fearfully.

"I found her at Tric," Brooke replied.

"She was drinking?" Quinn inquired shocked.

Brooke nodded. "The bartender said she had like five shots of tequila and that was all."

Vivian sighed. "This isn't like her."

"She's having a hard time with this and everything else that's going on, it was probably the only way for her to cope," Brooke reasoned.

"What else is going on?" Quinn questioned.

"Just stuff with Nathan. She's on a big emotional rollercoaster with him right now."

Brooke and Quinn looked at their sister concerned. "I saw that magazine with her and Nathan on the cover. How would someone find out about them, it was so long ago?" Vivian asked.

"We were thinking Rachel Gatina because she's mentioned as the cause of their break-up, plus she always did hate Haley."

Haley lolled her head against Brooke's shoulder and she moved to go inside the door. She sat Haley down on the bench that was placed in the foyer and turned back to Quinn and Vivian when she heard Quinn speak. "That's why they broke up? Nathan cheated?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, that's not what happened. Everything else in the article is pretty much a lie too. The only real things are the pictures of them when we were in high school and the part about them not speaking for a while."

Vivian shot a glance to Quinn and then looked at her other sister quickly to make sure she was still out of it and turned back to Brooke. "So then what was the real cause of their break-up?"

Brooke smiled sympathetically. "It's not my place to tell you guys. I'm sure Haley will tell everyone when she's ready."

Quinn and Vivian nodded in understanding and they, along with Brooke moved to help Haley up to her bed. After getting her situated, Brooke walked into the bathroom across the hall and grabbed the trash can and placed it on Haley's side of the bed. She changed into her pyjamas and climbed into the bed beside her friend and fell asleep.

* * *

Brooke woke early the next morning and saw that Haley was lying awake with her hands pressed against her face. Haley had been sick multiple times during the night, keeping both the girls up for the duration of their night. Brooke noticed that Haley still had her hands over her face and was perplexed. "What are you doing?"

"It's too bright in here," Haley groaned.

Brooke laughed and got out of the bed and walked to the window that was covered by blinds. She raised the blinds, letting the room become completely filled by daylight. Haley yelled and shoved her face into her pillow. "Get up, Haley. You're not going to lie in bed all day and sulk by yourself. You have so many people here who love you."

Haley shook her head, refusing to move. Brooke sighed and walked over to the bed and sat down beside her friend. "Haley, I know that you're in a tonne of pain right now, and judging by the way you handled yourself last night you've decided to be stubborn and shut everyone out."

Haley met Brooke's gaze and spoke softly. "I'm not trying to shut everyone out and I didn't intend on getting drunk last night, it's just that I went for a walk and ended up at that table and I got overwhelmed with everything that's going on now and needed something to make me feel better."

Brooke nodded. "I know, but promise me you won't do it again, you scare me when you go doing stuff like that."

"I promise," Haley replied while looking apologetically at Brooke.

Brooke leaned in to hug the other girl. "Try not to shut us out. Your whole family is grieving too, grieve with them, it's so much healthier."

Brooke felt Haley nod against her shoulder in agreement and she pulled away from their hug. "Wanna go get some breakfast now?"

Haley grimaced. "I think me and food is a bad combination right now, but I guess I can come down with you."

The two girls got out of their bed and walked into the kitchen, only Quinn, Taylor, and Vivian were there. The three girls turned and looked at the two new occupants. "Hung over Haley Bob?" Quinn asked.

Haley winced. "You know?"

"Of course we know! Who do you think helped carry you to bed last night?"

"I'm sorry, guys," she apologized.

"Just don't do it again, Haley. We were worried about you," Vivian responded.

Taylor nodded in agreement and Haley sighed. "It won't happen again with the way I'm feeling right now. Can you guys do me a favour and not tell mom or the boys about this? I don't want them to worry about me on top of everything else."

Everyone nodded and Haley sat down next to Taylor at the kitchen table. "How are you really doing," Taylor asked concerned.

Haley shrugged. "Not good, but that's to be expected I guess."

"Yeah. By the way, Quinn and Vivian told me about you and Nathan and that stupid magazine article."

Haley caught Brooke's eye and knew she had heard what Taylor said. "What did you tell them?" she asked nervously.

"Nothing. Just that pretty much the entire article was a lie."

"Is there something you don't want us to know, Haley?" Vivian asked.

"No, it's all in the past and not important. Nathan and I don't exist anymore."

Brooke shook her head in disagreement, knowing full well that the events that Haley was concerned she had revealed to her sisters were not all in the past, but some actually extremely recent. She kept her mouth shut though, because she also knew that the last thing her friend needed to deal with was telling her three sisters everything that transpired all those years ago and over the last few days, and have them lecturing her over her recent actions.

Haley cast a discreet glance of thanks to Brooke and the five girls in the kitchen continued to talk while cooking and eating their breakfast, attempting to have a light hearted conversation to avoid the overwhelming heartache each was feeling over the loss of Jimmy James and the knowledge of the funeral the next day.


	13. Chapter 13

Hey guys, another new chapter!

Just fyi though, I've never been to a funeral in my life and I don't really know the order of events or anything so sorry, because it's really vague, but I did the best I could. :)

* * *

Chapter 13

Nathan Scott sat on his couch staring at his phone. It had been over twenty four hours since he had left New York and left Haley that note on the bed side table, and he still not heard a word from her, or any of his other friends for that matter. He had expected to hear from someone yesterday to inform him of when Jimmy's funeral would take place, as of now, he was beginning to conclude that Haley thought of their night together as a mistake and didn't want to see him, and therefore was not going to call him at all or have someone else tell him when the funeral was either.

Nathan put his face in his hands and screamed in rage at what he had concluded. He officially knew he screwed everything up with the one girl he'll ever truly love. She didn't want a relationship and then all of a sudden he's going off and telling her he loves her, when it's obvious that she only said it first because she was confused and tired, and he had obliged with her request and 'took the pain away.'

Nathan screamed once more in rage and looked up when he heard someone chuckling softly. He glared when he saw his friend and agent, Clay Evans. "What do you want?"

"Whoa, no need to bite my head off, dude!"

"What do you want, Clay? I'm not in the mood for your shit right now."

"I just came over to see if you wanted to hangout, but if you're _not in the mood_, I'll go."

Nathan sighed. "Stay if you want. I could care less."

Clay sat down on the couch next to Nathan. "What's going on, man?"

Nathan shook his head. "She's not going to call," he muttered.

"Who isn't going to call?"

"Haley."

"Why wouldn't she call you?"

"It's complicated, but if she doesn't call then I know I ruined any chance we had at being together again."

"That sucks, Nate. She'll call though, just wait."

He shook his head again. "No she won't, she would've done it by now."

"While you wait for the call, how about we play some NBA Live?"

Nathan shrugged indifferently. "Sure, why not."

* * *

Haley, Lucas, and Brooke walked into Karen's Cafe and sat down in a secluded booth near the back corner of the establishment. Brooke had suggested the three go out for lunch after seeing how much pain being in her childhood home was currently causing her best friend.

The cafe was relatively empty but some the diners looked on in shock as Haley James walked through their small town restaurant, apparently unaware that she had grown up there. "I hope no one asks for a picture or anything today," Haley mumbled.

"They won't, it's Tree Hill," Brooke replied.

"Exactly. How often do you think people in Tree Hill see someone that's famous?"

"Good point," Brooke said and turned her head when she saw that Karen was walking over to their table.

Karen arrived at the side of their booth and look sadly at Haley. She opened her arms and Haley stood up and hugged the older woman tightly. "How are you holding up?"

"Not good," Haley whispered.

Karen rubbed her back and then pulled away from the hug smiling at Haley. "You're going to get through this; you're one of the strongest people I know, Haley James."

Haley smiled softly at her and sat back down beside Brooke. "Do I even have to ask what all of you want to eat?"

The three friends smiled at the older woman and shook their heads, Karen walked away laughing and brought back their preferred drinks moments later before heading to take another table's order.

After Karen left, Brooke turned to Haley. "Are you going to call him today?"

Haley shook her head. "No."

"Haley, come on. You can't just run away from him."

"What would I even say to him, Brooke? 'Hi, Nathan, we had sex but I don't want a relationship because you broke my heart and I can't trust you, bye, see you at the wedding.'"

Brooke sighed. "You have to say _something_ to him, it's not right to sleep with him and then just completely avoid him."

"Brooke, I'm just not ready to talk to him yet. I need to figure out exactly what to say to him first."

"Are you at least going to tell him when the funeral is?" Lucas asked.

"No, I'm not ready to see him either, and even if he wanted to come, he'd be way to busy now that he's practising with his team again."

Lucas shook his head, clearly taking Brooke's side in the disagreement. "I'm going to use the washroom," he said before getting up and walking away.

Haley turned to Brooke and looked pleadingly at her. "Can you please just trust me and how I decide to deal with the Nathan issue?"

Brooke gazed at her silently before nodding her head in agreement. "I will, unless I think you're doing something stupid."

Haley smiled lightly. "I guess that's all I can ask for."

After a few seconds of silence Brooke began speaking again. "I forgot to ask, have you heard from Jake or Peyton yet?"

"Yeah, Peyton called last night but I ignored the call."

Brooke looked at questioningly. "It was when I was on my walk," Haley explained.

Brooke nodded in understanding. "Are you going to call and tell them that the funeral is tomorrow, or do you want me to do it?"

"I'll do it now, I guess," Haley said and began dialling her friend's phone number. She was greeted by a female's voice almost instantly. "Hi, Peyton, I was just calling to tell you that my dad's funeral is tomorrow at noon."

"Jake and I will be there, and how are you doing?"

"Not great, but what can I expect?" Haley said as Lucas returned to the table and sat across from her and Brooke.

"It gets easier eventually, lean on your friends and family, it'll help a lot."

Haley nodded. "Thanks, Peyton."

She trusted what Peyton was telling her, Peyton's mom had died when they were eleven so she's felt the same feelings that Haley was. Peyton and Haley continued to talk for a few more minutes until Karen approached their table with the food they had ordered. She hung up her phone and thanked Karen for her meal and began to eat in silence.

* * *

Haley woke up and saw that it was just after 8am. Today was her father's funeral. Yesterday evening her mother had sat down and told her and her siblings that they weren't doing the traditional visitation before the funeral, but instead would just be having the service at the church then go to the cemetery for the burial, and then anyone could come back to their house for a quiet reception.

She sighed, she was nowhere near ready to say good bye to her dad. Haley got out of her bed and walked across the hall to the bathroom and took a shower.

After she showered, Haley walked into her kitchen to eat some breakfast and was met by her mother, Brooke, and each of siblings, all of which were silently eating their food. She walked to one of the cupboards, took out a bowl and poured some cereal in it. She filled the bowl with milk and walked over to the kitchen table and began eating silently as she felt Brooke comfortingly squeeze her leg.

One by one, the occupants of the kitchen finished their breakfast and exited the room to get ready. Eventually, the only two people left at the kitchen table were Brooke and Haley. "Are you okay?" Brooke spoke up.

Haley stared at her cereal and began swirling the spoon in the left over milk. "No," she whispered and looked up at Brooke. "I'm not ready for this."

Brooke moved close to her friend and put an arm around her shoulder, pulling them together. "I know it's hard, but you're a strong girl, Haley, don't hesitate to breakdown and remember that everyone is here for you."

"I know, it's just hard to process that he's actually gone."

Brooke nodded and pulled her friend closer to her. "I know," she whispered and rubbed Haley's back.

Haley glanced at the clock on the stove and saw that it was almost 10am already. "We should go get ready," she said and put her bowl in the sink.

"Yeah, we're leaving in like an hour and a bit right?"

"I think so," Haley replied and the two girls walked back up to their room and got ready.

After an hour and half of getting ready for the funeral, Brooke and Haley walked down the stairs and into the foyer. Haley wore a black, bandage Hervé Léger dress with a shallow curving neckline and a pair of black ballerina flats. Brooke wore a black pencil skirt coming to her knees with black ballerina flats as well and a grey tucked in blouse.

The pair walked to their rental car, noticing that most of Haley's family had left already and they drove to the church.

When Brooke and Haley arrived they saw that a few people had arrived ahead of them, they said quick hellos and walked into the building. Haley immediately saw her father's open casket at the front of the church and found that her eyes were glued to it. She felt Brooke put an arm around her shoulders and the two walked to the casket.

Haley stared at her father's lifeless form in silence. She leaned her head on Brooke's shoulder and closed her eyes, a few stray tears falling down her face slowly. She sniffled quietly and stood up straight again, allowing Brooke to lead her to the front pew where her brothers and sisters were sitting as well, both girls sat down and remained in silent reflection about Jimmy James.

Five minutes of silence had passed and Haley felt a hand squeezing her should lightly. She turned around and saw that Jake and Peyton were sitting directly behind her. She smiled sadly at both of them. "Thanks for coming."

"There's nowhere else we would ever be," Jake replied and Peyton nodded in agreement.

Haley smiled again and turned back around, once again becoming silent. After another five minutes she saw Brooke turn her head and smile out of the corner of her eye. Guessing that Lucas was the cause of her friend's smile, Haley didn't bother to turn and instead focused on the knowledge that the funeral would begin in a few minutes. Haley's eyes began to water again at thought, not ready to say good bye still. She watched as a tall blond walked by and looked at her worriedly as he sat down next to his fiancée.

Just as Lucas passed by her, Haley felt someone sit down next her. Knowing that the front row was reserved for family and that her mom and siblings were seated already, Haley became confused and looked at the person who was now beside her. Brown met blue and Haley stared shocked at the sight of the man next to her. "What are you doing here?" she whispered softly.

Nathan smiled softly and put his arm around her. "You needed me; you're just too stubborn to admit it."

Haley didn't respond and faced forward, noticing the priest was beginning the service. She leaned her head on Nathan's broad shoulder and felt him kiss the top of her head. Haley let her tears fall freely through the entire funeral service, allowing them to pick up speed greatly during her mother's tearful eulogy, Nathan comforting her every second.

After the funeral service in the church, those who chose to attend the burial began heading to their cars to head to the cemetery.

Haley walked alongside Brooke and Nathan out the doors and started in the direction of their rental car. Nathan began walking in another direction, causing her to follow because of their joined hands. "Nathan, my car is over there," she pointed out.

He turned to look at her. "Drive with me. There won't be any room in that car; Jake and Peyton have to go in it because they took a cab from the airport."

Haley silently obeyed and she and Nathan walked to his car hand in hand. Nathan opened the passenger side door for her and then walked around to the driver's side and got in. He saw Haley staring out the window and began driving to the cemetery.

After a few minutes of silence Haley spoke. "Who told you it was today?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Nathan, just tell me."

Nathan sighed, not seeing why she cared. "Lucas."

Haley shook her head in disbelief. "When?"

_Lucas got up from the booth in Karen's Cafe. Haley had just told him and Brooke that she was not going to tell Nathan when Jimmy's funeral was. She claimed that Nathan would be too busy to attend anyway, but all three of them knew that Nathan would move mountains for Haley if he could. Lucas headed to the men's washroom and pulled out his cell phone when he was standing just outside the door. He scrolled through his contacts and pressed call when he had found the desired person._

_"Hello?" the person greeted._

_"Hey, Nate, it's Lucas."_

_"Oh, hey Luke, what's up?"_

_"I'm just calling to tell you that Jimmy's funeral is tomorrow at noon, if you can make it. I can pick you up from the airport too, if you'd like."_

_"No, I'll rent a car, but thanks for telling me Luke."_

_"No problem, Haley was refusing to call. She's basically convinced you're too busy to fly across the country and that she doesn't need you anyway."_

_"You think she's wrong?"_

_"I _know _she's wrong."_

_Nathan chuckled lightly. "I should go, I'll see you tomorrow then, Luke."_

_"Yeah, bye, Nathan," Lucas said and hung up his phone before walking back Brooke and Haley._

Haley sighed but didn't respond after Nathan finished telling her what happened. She continued to stare out the window until they arrived at the cemetery. Nathan parked the car and opened Haley's door for her. He put his arm around her waist and they walked up to the burial site. Chairs were set up for immediate family, including Brooke, Lucas, Peyton, Jake, and Nathan. Once again, Haley sat next to Brooke with Nathan on her other side.

After five minutes, everyone attending the burial had arrived and Haley watched as her three brothers, Keith, and two of her uncles carried her father's casket to the site and placed it on the stands in place around the deep hole.

Haley leaned her head on Nathan's shoulder again and listened to the priest talk.

It soon came time to lower the casket and Haley watched as it disappeared from sight. Her mother and each of her siblings, including herself rose from their seats and walked to the large pile of dirt beside the hole. Each grabbed a fistful and dropped it ceremoniously onto their father's casket.

The priest signalled that the service was complete and the attendants all began walking to their cars once more. Haley kept her head on Nathan's shoulder as they walked, letting her tears fall. When they got to Nathan's car, Haley let out an agonizing sob. The sound pierced Nathan's heart and he forced her to face him.

She leaned her back against the side of the car, unable to stand properly. Nathan pressed his body against hers and hugged her tightly. She buried her face in his chest and continued to sob while he rubbed her back attempting to soothe her. "I-I c-can't live without h-him, Nathan," she cried.

"Shh... it's going to be okay."

Haley shook her head in his neck, unable to form coherent words.

Lucas, Brooke, Peyton, and Jake stood at their car thirty feet away from Nathan and Haley, watching their friend as sobs wracked her body. Each of them had tears forming in their eyes at the sight, and from watching the helpless expression on Nathan's face as he failed to calm the love of his life down.

They continued to watch minutes later as Haley managed to stop crying and she and Nathan stood beside their car hugging as though their lives depended on it.

After another few minutes Nathan and Haley got into their car and the four on lookers did so as well. Both cars began driving back to the James household for the quiet reception, each person thinking of the breakdown Haley just experienced and how Nathan comforted her so lovingly.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Haley stood in her living room surrounded by people reminiscing about Jimmy James. The funeral had ended shortly ago, her and Nathan drove back to her house together but despite feeling close with him earlier, Haley had managed to pull away from Nathan and was trying desperately to ignore him. She was barely paying attention to what one of her father's old co-workers was saying about him; instead she was solely focussed on where Nathan was and how she could get away if he possibly approached her.

Meanwhile, Nathan stood with his four friends in the James' kitchen being pestered about talking to Haley.

"Go talk to her," Brooke urged.

"I don't think right now is a good time, Brooke, seeing as how we just got back from her dad's funeral," he pointed out.

"Oh, bullshit, Nathan. You're just scared she'll reject you," Peyton countered.

"Well wouldn't you be scared?"

"Sure, I would, but we all not that there's not a chance in hell that Haley would reject being with you."

"I agree, regardless of what Haley says she knows she's in love with you and wouldn't dare run you off," Brooke piped in.

Nathan shook his head in disagreement and turned to Lucas and Jake. "What do you guys think?"

"I think the girls are right, Haley wouldn't do anything to hurt you," Jake offered.

"Yeah, I mean, Haley's always gone on about how sex is a big deal to her right? She'd only sleep with you if she had feelings for you," Lucas said.

Nathan, Peyton, and Jake looked at him shocked. "How did you know that?" Nathan asked.

"Brooke told me."

Nathan whirred around to face Brooke. "How did _you_ know?"

"Haley told me," she shrugged.

"Did she tell you anything else that happened, or how she feels about it?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah, but I can't tell you anything she said, best friend confidentiality," Brooke smiled.

Nathan glared at her but someone else spoke before he had the chance. "Whoa, can we like slow down and back up? When did you and Haley sleep together?" Peyton interjected.

"The night before we left for LA. I heard someone making a bunch of noise in the hall, and it was Haley. She was gonna leave for Tree Hill and then she told me what happened. One thing led to another and we slept together."

Peyton shook her head. "You two never could keep your hands off each other," she joked.

"Not funny," Nathan glared at her.

Brooke laughed softly at his irritation before she returned to the original subject. "So, are you gonna go talk to her now?"

He sighed and walked out of the room in Haley's direction, silently.

* * *

Haley stood with the same group of men when she noticed Nathan walking towards her. She glanced at each exit from the room and saw that she'd be unable to escape without being stopped by someone, so they could tell her they were sorry for her loss.

She sighed and decided to remain where she was, hoping that she was not his intended destination and that he would just bypass her to talk to someone else.

She cringed when she heard his approaching footsteps stop right behind her, but turned around anyway.

He looked down at her, stone faced. "Can we talk?" he muttered.

"Yeah, sure. We can go up to my room, I guess." Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her four friends peeking out from behind the kitchen door, no doubt spying on her and Nathan. She rolled her eyes at them and walked briskly up to her bedroom.

When the pair made up the stairs and inside the room, Haley closed the door behind them before turning around. He stared at her awkwardly and she reciprocated the gaze.

"So..." she trailed off.

"So..." he mimicked, at a loss for words.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Haley asked, cutting to the chase.

Nathan ran a hand over his face in an attempt to calm his nerves. "The night we spent together."

"Nathan I-"

"No, just hear me out first, and then you can talk," he interrupted and looked pleadingly at her.

She nodded in agreement and he continued. "I love you, Haley, and I want us to try and be together. I know I screwed up and broke your heart the first time around, but I promise that if you just give me a chance, I'll prove to you that I'm not that guy anymore. I _need_ to be with you, Haley, please give me a chance."

Haley sighed. "Nathan," she began, attempting to keep her tears at bay. "I – I _can't_ be with you."

The smile that had been present on Nathan's face vanished within a millisecond of Haley speaking. "What are you talking about? You said you loved me that night, Haley!"

"I do love you Nathan! I just can't bring myself to be with you."

"Why the hell not?"

"Don't you get it, Nathan?" she asked desperately.

"Get what?" he yelled, losing his patience quickly.

"I was so _painfully_ in love with you, and you shattered me. My feelings for you never went away in seven years. I couldn't ever bring myself to be with a man for more than a month or two because my feelings for _you_ would always make me push him away!"

"So if you've had feelings for me all this time, why can't we be together now?" he pleaded.

"Because! I love you, Nathan, but that doesn't change the fact that if we got back together I'd be terrified that you would break my heart again! I can't trust you and I sure as hell will _never_ put myself in the position to go through heartbreak all over again."

"Haley, I told you that I'm not that guy anymore. I wouldn't even dream of hurting you the way I did again, I promise."

Haley shook her head. "You can't promise me something like that, Nathan. We don't know what could happen, you could break my heart without even meaning to."

"Please, Haley, just give me a chance," he begged again.

Haley sighed softly. "I love you, Nathan, I really do, but I think we'd both be better off as friends and just not venture into a relationship again. The first time around ended in a big enough disaster to last a lifetime."

Nathan became silent, rooted to the spot. He stared at Haley not believing that their conversation was real. There was no way on Earth she had rejected him, she loved him, and if she loved him she wouldn't do that to him. Finally, he shook his head still trying to fathom that she was going to be stubborn and try to protect her heart. He walked past her and down the stairs.

It took Haley a couple seconds to realize that Nathan had walked away. She turned and began chasing after him. "Nathan," she called, but he didn't respond. "Nathan, where are you going," she tried again.

Nathan refused to stop for her. If she was going to just flat out reject him without even giving a relationship a shot, she didn't deserve to say anything more to him. He was storming down the main hallway of the house past the family room where everyone had a clear view of him. The guests were definitely optimizing the lack of walls between the family room and hallway, staring as Nathan came into sight storming down the stairs as Haley called after him.

Haley managed to catch up to Nathan right in front of the wide entrance to the family room. She grabbed his forearm as hard as she could, forcing him to stop. Neither spoke as Nathan faced her, his face cold. The entire house was silent as Haley took in the look upon his face and she instantly knew why he was leaving so quickly. She scoffed. "Are you _actually_ mad at me?"

Nathan narrowed his eyes slightly but refused to speak. "You're unbelievable. I can't give you what you want so you decide, 'hey, I'm not getting my way so I'll just walk out _again.'"_

Nathan full on glared this time. "You forgave me for that. The past has nothing to do with the present," he spoke, his voice gravelly.

"Were you not paying attention to anything I said upstairs? Our past has _everything_ to do with the present, Nathan!"

"Whatever, Haley. Why don't you stop making excuses and just admit that you're just too scared to be with me again," he suggested.

"You're right, Nathan, I am scared. I'm _terrified_ to get hurt again, you didn't see what I went through, I barely survived last time."

"Whatever, I give up," Nathan said and stalked out of the house.

Haley remained stock still. She shook her head in disbelief over what just transpired. She turned and saw everyone in her home staring at her in silence. She ignored them and marched over to Lucas, her eyes not leaving his once. She stopped in front of him and ignored her other friends surrounding them, keeping her eyes fixed on Lucas. "Why did you call him?" she asked with anger evident in her voice.

Lucas sighed. "You needed him Hales."

"I don't need _anything_ from someone like him," she disagreed.

"Don't kid yourself, Haley. You know you need him, you're just being stubborn and refuse to admit it right now."

"I'm not being stubborn at all, actually. It's the four of you that are now trying to push Nathan and I back together. Do you not remember everything I told you guys about what happened then?" she said while pointing at the four of her friends.

Lucas sighed. "Maybe this isn't the best place to have this conversation," he stated while gesturing to all the people blatantly staring and listening to them.

"I don't care whose listening; we're having this conversation now."

"Fine. Yes, we remember what happened _seven_ years ago. It haunts me that I didn't know until last week, but you have to move on with your life, Haley, there's no use holding on to the pain."

Out of the corner of her eye Haley saw her mother asking all their guests to leave, but she didn't bother stopping her present conversation to say good bye. "Do you think I like carrying around what happened with me every day? It's not by choice Lucas, everything that happened will never just go away, especially now since my whole relationship was chronicled – wrongly might I add – on the cover of a god damn magazine."

"Tell the public the truth about what happened between the two of you and maybe it would be easier to let go of!" Lucas pushed.

All the guests had grudgingly left the house and only Haley's siblings, mother, and friends remained, and all of them were still silent except for her and Lucas. "How am I supposed to tell the entire world that I got pregnant when I was eighteen years old, without being called every bad name in the book?" she yelled."

Everyone in the room was eerily silent. Haley's hand shot to her mouth when she realized her family was still present in the room and had heard what she said. She turned around slowly and locked eyes with Lydia James. "You got pregnant?" she asked calmly.

Haley nodded in response before Lydia continued. "And you didn't tell me?"

Once again, Haley nodded while biting her lip. "You got an abortion?" Lydia assumed.

Haley averted her gaze to the floor and shook her head. "Then what happened?"

As always, tears filled Haley's eyes at the thought of losing her unborn child. She forced herself to look her mother in the eye and swallowed hard. "I miscarried, if you can even really call it that..." she whispered.

Lydia looked at her youngest daughter sadly. She walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Come sit down and tell us everything that happened," she suggested while beginning to walk to one of the couches.

"Mom, we just had Daddy's funeral. Now really isn't the best time to be telling you guys how I got my heart broken," she said desperately trying to avoid telling her family everything.

Lydia shook her head and smiled softly knowing exactly what Haley was trying to do. "Now is as good a time as any."

Haley looked back at her friends searching for some back-up but all she received was four encouraging nods. They walked closer to her and she sighed. She and Lucas hugged softly, signalling their brief fight was finished and the five friends walked closer to the couches where her family had already situated themselves. Haley sat down between Lydia and Quinn and leaned her head on her mom's shoulder.

A minute later, Haley sat up straight again and began explaining to her family what happened between her and Nathan seven years prior.

* * *

It had taken Haley only about an hour to fill her family in on what happened between her and Nathan. Her mom was currently hugging her tightly as everyone else in the room looked at her with sadness.

She pulled away from Lydia's comforting embrace and stood up. "I'm just gonna go up to bed, I'm really tired."

Brooke looked at her confused. "Haley, it's only like 5."

"Yeah, I know, I'm just tired," she repeated and walked to her bedroom leaving behind her family and best friends looking puzzled.

Lydia turned to Brooke when she knew her daughter was out of hearing distance. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well, we think the person who gave the information to that magazine was Rachel Gatina, Nathan's ex-girlfriend."

Lydia shook her head disapprovingly. "Is that all?"

"Yeah," Brooke said a little too quickly.

Lydia looked at questioningly. "What else is there, Brooke?"

"It's nothing, it doesn't matter."

"Brooke," she pushed.

Brooke sighed. "Saturday morning, after Quinn called, Haley freaked out and almost left right after they got off the phone. Nathan heard her and convinced her to wait until morning, and they ended up sleeping together. Then, later that night after we had flown in, Haley went for a walk I guess and wound up at Tric and got wasted, which you know is completely out of character for her."

Lydia raised her eyebrows. "They slept together? That's not like Haley either," she stated.

"I know. I'm really worried about her; her emotions have been everywhere the past week."

Everyone in the room nodded in understanding and agreement. "How about I order some takeout for dinner, it's been a long day," Lydia suggested, signalling the topic of Haley and Nathan was now closed.

Once again, the occupants of the room nodded to signal their agreement and Lydia picked up the phone sitting next to her and ordered dinner for the group.

Brooke and Peyton excused themselves and headed upstairs to Haley's bedroom. They knocked on the door once, but after receiving no answer they walked straight in. They saw their friend sitting on her bed staring blankly at the wall next to the door. Peyton and Brooke walked to the bed and sat down on either side of Haley. Peyton nudged her to make her aware of the company she now had. She smiled unenthusiastically at the pair and went back to staring at nothing.

"What's going on with you, Hales?" Peyton asked.

Haley shrugged. "Nothing, I'm fine."

Brooke sighed. "Come on, Haley, we're your best friends, we know when you're flat out lying to our faces."

Haley continued to stare at the wall but spoke softly. "Why did you guys push him into talking to me?"

"Why do you think we forced him to do anything?" Brooke asked.

"Because I know you guys."

Peyton laughed softly and explained themselves. "We thought you wanted to be with Nathan, but you just hadn't quite realized it yet. Nathan didn't agree with us so we pushed him to you, thinking he would be thanking us later once you guys got back together."

"Well that was stupid, huh?" Haley asked while nudging them both playfully with her shoulder.

Glad the conversation was remaining light hearted, Brooke turned to face her friend and they met each other's eyes. "Why did you tell him you don't want to be with him though?"

"Because I don't want to be with him."

"Why though?" Peyton urged.

"You two were there last time. I don't want to get hurt and have to be that way again, because I don't like that version of myself."

"Need I point out that you're still miserable now without him? The only difference between then and now is that you actually want to be with him deep down. Why don't you tell us the other reason why you don't want to be with him?" Brooke offered.

Haley smiled to herself; her friends really did know her too well. "Nathan and I live completely different lives. I mean, sure, we both live in LA but I travel all the time for appearances and touring, and he's all over the country a majority of the year playing basketball. There's no way with our careers that we could actually have a real relationship, we would barely even see each other!"

"You wouldn't know until you tried, Haley," Peyton said.

Haley shook her head. "It wouldn't work. But speaking of touring, I think I want to go on like a short one month tour just across the country."

Peyton looked at her questioningly. "I thought you decided to delay the tour for the new CD so you could help Brooke with wedding plans."

Haley looked at Brooke. "Would you mind if I bailed on planning for a bit?"

"No, if you feel like you need to tour, go on tour."

Haley smiled and turned back to Peyton. "Can you figure it out on such short notice?"

"Well, since all your concerts pretty much sell out in a day or two, you can probably have the first concert early next week."

Haley nodded. "I think this is what I need, to just clear my head."

"Can I come with you? I haven't been with you on tour in so long!" Brooke asked excitedly.

Haley laughed softly. "Sure, Brookie, you can keep me company, and obviously Lucas can come too."

"Jake and I are flying back home tomorrow morning, so I'll get on the phone and work out a schedule and hopefully have it finished by the end of the day and you'll leave next week!"

Haley smiled. "Don't think this tour gets you out of talking about all your Nathan drama though," Brooke warned.

"Yes, I know, Brooke. Can we lay off of it for a little while though?"

Brooke nodded and the three girls spent the rest of the night in Haley's bedroom talking, eating pizza, and having fun with each other, something Haley hadn't been able to do with her two best friends in months. For the first time in a long time, Haley fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Haley walked off the stage with a beaming smile on her face. She just finished her last show of the tour in Los Angeles. She had been right when she told Brooke and Peyton that the tour was what she needed. Haley had travelled across the country for about four weeks performing in all different cities, and despite everything that was going on in her life before she left; Haley had a great tour and did in fact clear her head like she wanted.

Brooke and Lucas joined her for the first two weeks, but then decided they should return to New York and buckle down on their wedding plans. Haley spent the last half of her tour enjoying herself in the various cities she visited, not giving a single thought to Nathan Scott or the fight they had the last time they saw each other.

As she stopped to talk to one of her band members, one of the back stage crew members interrupted the conversation. "Haley, there's some tall, sexy guy with dark hair in your dressing room. He said you would want to see him."

"Thanks," Haley responded and turned to walk to her dressing room. She took a deep breath as she made it to the door. Nathan was on the other side of it and she had no idea why. The last time they spoke there was a blowout and she didn't really know what she was going to say to him, her feelings had not changed.

Haley turned the knob of the door and walked into the room. She closed the door behind her and saw a tall, broad man with black hair, but it wasn't Nathan whose back was to her. She cleared her throat and the man turned around. Haley gasped slightly when she saw the man's face. "What are you doing here, Mr. Scott?"

"Hello, Hades–I mean Haley," Dan smiled wickedly.

Haley shook her head and repeated herself. "What are you doing here, Dan?"

Dan clicked his tongue in disapproval. "So impatient. If you must know, I'm here to tell you that I know why my son left you all those years ago."

Haley's heart stopped. "Okay, why did Nathan leave me then?"

Dan laughed. "You wanted to trap him so you got pregnant, and then _unfortunately_ you lost the kid."

She stared at him. "And why did you feel the need to come share with me that you know?"

"I've seen the magazines articles about the two of you that have been coming out for the past month. They're making Nathan look bad, I thought it'd be nice to tell you that I have someone that can get the _real_ story out about you and Nathan."

Haley stared at Dan. She knew exactly what magazine articles he was talking about. Over the course of her tour, several magazines had released issues with pictures of her and Nathan from various stages of their relationship, along with a bogus article claiming they had an exclusive and each had a different reason for the break-up, most of them along the lines of Nathan cheating, one even went as far as saying he abused Haley. "How would Nathan walking out when I told him I was pregnant make him look any better?" she asked icily.

"Ms. James, you're mistaken. Nathan never walked out on you. You're a whore and got pregnant and decided you didn't want the kid so you got an abortion. You never even let Nathan have a say, and he was devastated."

"Are you serious? You're really going to go to the press with a story like that when you know it's a flat out lie?" Haley yelled.

Dan flashed a crooked smile. "It won't exactly be me releasing the story, I'm sure you've heard of Rachel Gatina though?"

Haley's entire body tensed. She was more than aware that Rachel had apparently decided to start a gossip website, trying to be the next Perez Hilton. When Haley looked at it on her tour, she noticed that almost the entire blog was bashing her or obsessing about Nathan. "Even you wouldn't give this _amazing_ story to a low life whore like her," she reasoned.

"Rachel works for me; she'll be taking that story to a big time magazine _and_ posting it on her new blog."

"If you do this, Nathan will never speak to you again," Haley warned.

Dan laughed. "My son already doesn't seem to want to speak to me. However, if you can get him to contact me-because contrary to popular belief, I do want to have a good relationship with Nathan–then I might not let Rachel put that story out."

Haley scoffed. "So you're blackmailing me then? Well, first of all, I can't make Nathan do anything he doesn't want to, even if it could save both of us from a lot of unwanted attention. Secondly, you should have thought about having a relationship with _both_ your sons before you abandoned one and treated the other like dirt his entire life!"

Dan ignored her and continued. "You have a week to get my son to willingly speak with me, Ms. James, otherwise prepare yourself to be hated by the public for being such an insensitive bitch," he shrugged.

"Get out, Dan," Haley ground out.

He chuckled. "No need to tell me twice. By the way, I heard about your dad dying, it's a shame that he'll never see what a whore is daughter was."

"Get the fuck out!" she demanded.

Dan's only reply was the sound of his continuous chuckles as he exited the room and walked down the hall to exit the building.

Haley walked over to the couch placed against the wall opposite the open door. She sat down and put her head on her hands that were propped on her knees. She drew in a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down.

It was bad enough that Dan pretty much knew what happened all those years ago and he could devastate her and go to the press with the truth at anytime, but now she had to worry about this stupid fake story about an abortion. Haley whimpered softly at the thought of aborting her baby, after she cried for days about miscarrying, she couldn't fathom her even possibly thinking about choosing abortion all those years ago.

Haley heard the sound of stilettos approaching her dressing room and sat up straight, wiping her eyes to shed any stray tears in the process. The opening act for the tour, Mia Catalano, stopped in the doorway and looked questioningly at Haley. "Who was that creepy laughing guy that just walked out of here?"

"A bastard," she muttered.

"What?" Mia laughed.

Haley sighed. "He's the son of a bitch that gets a kick out of ruining people's lives."

"And what was he doing here..."

"Apparently I'm next on his list of lives to ruin," she shrugged.

Mia looked at Haley worriedly. "Is everything okay, Hales?"

Haley smiled appreciatively at the other girl. Over the course of the last four weeks, Mia and Haley had formed a strong friendship. They hung out in their spare time frequently and talked about their friends and family with each other all the time. Mia had been there especially for the last two weeks whenever Haley got lonely without Brooke and Lucas around. Haley was eternally grateful for having Mia around to talk to about anything that was bothering her. "Yeah, its fine, he doesn't scare me," she lied.

Mia still looked unconvinced and Haley mustered the biggest smile she could. "Really, everything's gonna be fine."

Mia still looked sceptically at Haley but let it go anyway. "So, we should go out tonight to celebrate the end of the tour!"

"Uh, I don't think I should, I have to fly to New York early tomorrow morning. A late night out isn't the best idea."

"Why are you going New York?"

"Brooke gave me strict orders to be back at her apartment as soon as the tour was finished because she needs help planning the wedding. Plus, her birthday party in Tree Hill is in a couple days and we said we'd fly down together," Haley explained.

Mia nodded in understanding. "Well, have fun at home, I'm gonna party with whoever I can find back here!" Mia winked and bounced out of the dressing room, closing the door behind her.

Haley laughed half-heartedly as her friend left. As soon as the door was closed Haley pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them. She didn't know what to do about Dan. The obvious choice would be to tell Nathan and try to convince him to contact Dan, but that would require talking to Nathan again. She could however; choose to call Dan's bluff and hope he wouldn't allow Rachel to publish this story.

Haley sighed deeply. She knew she was going to have to talk to Nathan at some point; she might as well have a damn good reason to approach him, instead of being forced to by her meddling friends. She shook her head in disbelief. No matter how hard she tried, Haley couldn't understand why Dan wouldn't just publish the story without telling her. Why did he want her to get Nathan to talk to him?

* * *

"How was the flight, Tutor Girl?"

Haley shrugged. "Like any other flight."

Brooke looked at her friend with confusion. She had just picked her up from the airport and they were driving back to Brooke and Lucas' apartment. Haley had been oddly quiet since Brooke met up with her at baggage claim. "Okay, what's wrong with you?"

Haley turned to Brooke. "With me? Nothing."

Brooke rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Haley, we've been over the fact that I know when you're lying."

Haley remained quiet and stared out her window. "Come on, Haley, there's obviously something wrong."

"I don't wanna talk about it. I just need to see Nathan," she whispered.

"You need to see _Nathan?_" Brooke's asked raising her eyebrows in surprise.

Brooke didn't receive an answer from her friend. They pulled up in front of her apartment building and got out of their car. They carried Haley's bags into the lobby and into the elevator up to the penthouse suite, both silent the entire time.

The two girls arrived at Brooke and Lucas' apartment and walked with the bags to Haley's usual room. Haley looked around; she had spent countless nights in this bedroom. The sound of Brooke's voice snapped Haley out of her thoughts. "Lucas is at a meeting with his editor, after he gets back we were thinking about having a nice dinner here and then get back to planning the wedding a little bit. Then tomorrow we're flying down to Tree Hill."

Haley nodded in agreement. "That's fine. How much progress with the planning have you made?"

"We're doing really well! All we really have to do is finalize a seating plan for the reception and agree on the kind of cake we want."

Haley looked at her in surprise. "You guys have got a lot done in the last two weeks."

"Yeah, Luke and I haven't worked so we basically planned 24/7."

"That's good, Brooke," Haley smiled. "By the way, are we staying at my house while we're in Tree Hill?"

While she was on tour, Haley decided to buy a house in Tree Hill. With her father dying, Haley realized how much she neglected her home town after she left and she wanted to change that. She figured out that she needed to visit it more often, especially now that her mom was by herself. So, Haley had a realtor send her pictures of some houses and Haley decided on a beach front property, she ordered all new furniture for it and it was delivered and set up in all the rooms.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to not have to stay with parents when we're in our twenties," Brooke laughed.

Haley smiled softly but before she could respond the sound of a door closing caught the girls' attention. They heard Lucas call out and the duo walked out to the foyer to greet him. "Hey, Hales," Lucas said after he pulled away from greeting Brooke with a kiss.

"Hi, Luke," she replied and hugged him quickly.

Lucas clapped his hands together and smiled. "So, are you ladies hungry?"

Brooke and Haley laughed at him and nodded their heads. The three walked into the kitchen and Lucas began preparing dinner for all of them while Brooke and Haley sat on the stools at the kitchen counter and kept him company. "How did your meeting with Lindsey go, Luke?" Brooke asked.

"It was alright, she keeps pressuring me to start my next book though."

"Well, what did you tell her?" Haley asked.

"I told her that the world was going to have to wait until after I get married for me to start writing," he smiled at Brooke who returned the gesture.

Lucas continued preparing dinner while Brooke and Haley chatted lightly. He finished a while later and the three friends sat down at the kitchen table to eat their dinner.

"What time does our flight leave tomorrow?" Lucas inquired.

"Noon," Brooke responded.

"And we're staying at your new house, Hales?"

Haley nodded. "Is Nathan coming?" she attempted to ask subtly.

Lucas eyed his friend curiously and glanced at Brooke who shrugged unknowingly as well. "Yeah, why?"

"There's just something I need to talk to him about."

Again, Lucas and Brooke looked puzzled. "About what?" Lucas asked.

"Oh, nothing important, I just have to tell him something," she shrugged.

"Well, what do you have to tell him?" Brooke pushed.

Haley sighed. "It really isn't important guys," she said and got up from the table and walked to the sink to wash her dish. She put it in the dishwasher and turned back to her confused friends. "I'm gonna head to bed, it's been a really long day."

Brooke and Lucas watched her departing frame and turned back to each other when she had disappeared. "What's going on with her?" Lucas asked quietly, to ensure she didn't hear him.

"I don't know, she was acting weird when I picked her up from the airport."

Lucas gazed intently at the space his friend had occupied at the table minutes earlier. Idea after idea ran through his head for the remainder of the night about what Haley could possibly need to talk to Nathan about after a month of silence, each one seemingly impossible.

* * *

The SUV drove along on a deserted road quietly. Brooke, Lucas, Haley, Peyton, Jake, and Nathan sat in their respective seats in the car, silent. Brooke, Lucas, and Haley arrived at Tree Hill airport and waited for their plane that was scheduled to land half an hour later.

The six of them finally met up and walked to their rented silver SUV. On the way, Haley made a move to pull Nathan aside and talk with him immediately, but he didn't seem to want anything to do with her at the moment and made a point to stick close to Lucas and Jake at all times. Nathan even managed to sit as far away from Haley as possible in the car.

He was in the back bench seat next to Jake. Brooke and Peyton sat in the middle row bucket seats and Haley sat in the front passenger seat next to Lucas, who was driving. Occasionally Lucas glanced at Haley to ensure that he was going in the correct direction but he received no objections as she stared blankly at the passing scenery.

After driving for half an hour out to the beach, the group arrived at Haley's new home. It was a large house with grey panelling. It had a red front door and two white staircases opposite each other leading up to a second front entrance. Two porches were visible coming off the side of the house from the second and third floors.

The group looked at the gorgeous house in awe as the SUV pulled into the half circle driveway. Lucas cut the engine and the six friends got out of the car and grabbed their bags. Haley walked to the first floor entrance and stuck her key in the lock. She smiled softly as the door unlocked and she pushed it open to reveal the inside of the house.

Haley turned to her five friends who had piled into the open foyer. "There are three bedrooms; all on the second floor. Pick whichever one you want."

Peyton, Jake, Lucas, and Brooke picked up their bags and raced off to look at the rest of the house, leaving Nathan and Haley to stare at each other. "I'll just sleep on the couch," he offered.

"Nathan, don't be stupid, we can share a room."

"Fine, I'll sleep on the floor then," he said.

Haley laughed softly. "Okay, whatever you want, I don't wanna fight with you. Actually I-"

"I guess I'll bring my stuff upstairs then," Nathan interrupted.

"Nathan, wait, I have to talk to you," she sighed.

Nathan acted as though he hadn't heard her call out and continued walking to the stairs. Haley shook her head in defeat. She picked up her bag and walked into the kitchen. She gazed around and smiled in appreciation of her new home. She walked into the open family room and then to the backyard. There was a medium sized in ground pool built into the porch.

Haley walked back inside and was met by Brooke and Peyton. "This house is amazing, Hales!" Brooke exclaimed.

Haley smiled. "I'm glad you like it, Brooke."

Brooke grabbed Peyton and Haley's arms roughly and guided them back up the stairs to her and Lucas' room. "Come on, girls, we have to get ready for my birthday celebration at Tric tonight!"

Haley and Peyton shook their heads in disbelief, they still had hours until they would be leaving for the nightclub and already their friend was forcing them to get ready for her big night. They laughed softly and followed her anyway, prepared to have Brooke dictate their outfit and make-up.


	16. Chapter 16

Wow, I'm sorry for the delay in updating guys! I'm super swamped right now, so writing will probably be pushed to the back burner in the upcoming weeks. If the wait between chapters gets past like five days, I'll most likely put an update on my profile to let you guys know when to expect a new chapter, so feel free to check for that!

On another note, this story now has over 100 reviews! For my first story on ff, you guys have no idea how awesome that makes me feel! So, thank you to all my readers and reviewers, keep it up! :)

* * *

Chapter 16

Haley walked away from her group friends and towards the bar at Tric. The group of six had arrived at the bar less than half an hour ago and were currently sitting at a booth at the side of the bar and were having fun celebrating Brooke's twenty fifth birthday. She approached the bar and made eye contact with the bartender.

"Well, well, back to drink away your problems again?" he asked.

Haley looked at the man with confusion. "What?"

"You came in about a month ago, right? Got wasted off tequila?" he reminded.

"How do you even remember that?" she asked, remembering what he was talking about.

"Trust me; I wouldn't forget someone as angry and scary as your brunette friend."

Haley laughed softly. "She can be pretty scary when she's angry."

Owen nodded exaggeratedly in agreement. "Anyway, what can I get you?"

"Three beers, three piña coladas, and a round of six shots," she smiled.

Owen's eyebrows rose. "That's a step up from the last night we saw each other," he joked.

Haley shook her head and laughed. "It's actually for me and my five friends, its Brooke's – the brunette's – birthday."

Owen nodded. "Are you guys sitting at a booth?"

"Yeah, it's that one, over there," Haley responded and pointed to the table she and her friends had chosen to sit at.

"Alright, I'll put the drinks on a tab and bring them over when I have them all."

It was Haley's turn to raise her eyebrows. "Do you bartenders normally do that?"

He shrugged. "No, but I'll make an exception to try and get back in Brooke's good books."

"Good luck with that," Haley laughed and walked back to her table.

As Haley weaved her way through the crowded night club she saw that some people were giving her strange looks, no doubt knowing who she was and wondering what she was doing in Tree Hill. She shook her head when she noticed other people in the dark corners of the club making out, practically having sex. Haley laughed as she made it back to her table and saw Brooke grilling Nathan about something, no doubt regarding her.

Haley slid back into the booth next to her and Brooke immediately went silent, proving Haley's theory that they were talking about her. Everyone looked at her awkwardly before Brooke began speaking again. "Where are our drinks, Tutor Girl?"

"Your bartender friend is gonna bring them over to us."

"Bartender friend?" Lucas asked confused.

Haley laughed. "Last time she came in here apparently Brookie was quite mean to the poor guy."

Brooke looked at Haley. "He's coming over here?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm just surprised. Last time I told him that he better hope I never see him again," she shrugged.

Haley gasped. "Brooke, you didn't have to be mean to him, it wasn't his fault I acted like an idiot!"

"Wait, I'm confused, how does Brooke know the bartender?" Peyton asked.

"Last time we were in Tree Hill, I was upset and I came in here and got drunk. Brooke found me and I guess she exchanged some words with Owen," Haley said and looked at Brooke chastising her.

"Hey, don't be mad at me! I was worried about you and he was the easiest person to pin my fear and anger on," she claimed.

Haley shook her head. "Well, now's your time to apologize," she said while nudging Brooke's shoulder and nodded at Owen's approaching figure.

Owen made it to the side of their table and put down a tray carrying all their drinks. He smiled and locked eyes with Brooke and visibly flinched. Haley laughed at seeing such a large grown man flinching at Brooke Davis. Brooke glared at her and turned to look at Owen. "Listen, Owen, I, uh, I'm sorry about being such a bitch to you before. I'm just protective of Haley and you were in the line of fire," she said apologetically.

Owen shrugged. "It's not a big deal. Happy birthday, by the way," he said and walked back to the bar.

The group of friends laughed as Brooke shook her head in embarrassment. They each grabbed a shot off the tray Owen had left at the table and raised it in the air. "To Brooke's birthday," Jake toasted and they all downed the liquid, gasping at the fire in their throat as it went down.

The six friends remained seated at their booth, laughing and celebrating Brooke's birthday in their beloved hometown.

* * *

An hour after Brooke's apology to Owen, the group of friends had split up to do their own thing in the club. Haley knew that Brooke, Lucas, Peyton, and Jake had decided to go dance a few minutes ago, but she had no idea where Nathan had gotten off to.

She had opted to not drink anything after her piña colada and shot and was on her way back from the bathrooms when she spotted Nathan to talking to a woman. Her back was to Haley, but she had a very strong idea of who it was. Haley felt fury bubble inside her and she marched over to Nathan.

"We need to talk," she ground out.

"I'm kinda busy talking to Rachel, Haley."

Haley turned to the red head and glared. This was the bitch that was working for Dan Scott, helping him try to blackmail her. She turned back to Nathan, choosing to not even speak to the whore next to her. "I don't care who you're talking to, this is important," she declared.

Nathan looked at her taken aback before turning to Rachel. "Excuse us for a minute," he said and grabbed Haley's forearm lightly and led her to the exterior of the club for some quiet.

"What do you want?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing talking to _her?"_ Haley exploded, ignoring his question.

"Last time I checked, I was free to talk to whoever I wanted, it's not like you and I are even together, you made that very clear, so why do you care?"

"Why do I care? Why do I care?" Haley repeated, her voice rising with every word. "I care because that's the whore that's helping to blackmail me!"

"What? What could she have on you and why would she bother blackmailing you?"

"It isn't her that has something on me, it's Dan."

"What does _he _have to do with Rachel and blackmailing you?" Nathan asked confused.

"After I finished my last show of the tour in LA, Dan was waiting for me in my dressing room and he said that he knew why we broke up, and he would let Rachel publish a story saying I got pregnant and aborted the baby without giving you a say in the matter. He said that Rachel would go to a bunch of magazines with the story too."

"What?" Nathan asked furiously.

Haley locked eyes with Nathan and saw the anger swirling in his dark blue orbs. "He said he didn't like the way the media was slamming you with cheating allegations and this story would make you look like a victim and get the media to lay off you a bit. Then he said he wouldn't let Rachel publish the story if I got you to talk to him and have a relationship with him, or something," she shrugged, trying to appear unaffected by the situation.

Nathan stared at Haley fuming. There's no way his father would stoop that low and spin a painful story in order for it to benefit Nathan. He shook his head. "I guess I'm gonna have a relationship with Dan then."

Haley looked at him in shock. "Nathan, don't. I don't want this to be an opportunity for Dan to suck you back in. We can just let it all play out and hope to God he's bluffing."

Nathan scoffed. "So now all of a sudden you care about me?"

"Of course I care about you, Nathan, I always have."

"If you care about me so much, then why didn't you call after you read my note?" he rolled his eyes.

"What note?"

"What note? The fucking note I wrote to you after we slept together!"

Haley looked at him puzzled. "I never got a note, Nathan."

"Don't lie to me, Haley. I put it right in front of the alarm clock to make sure you saw it, there's no possible way that you didn't see it."

"I'm not lying, Nathan, I never saw any note. I must've knocked it off the bed side table when I was trying to turn off the alarm clock without opening my eyes, or something."

Nathan looked at Haley, trying to decipher if she was telling the truth. Everything on her face said that she was. Nathan sighed. "Would you have called if you saw it?"

Haley smiled softly at him. "Did you ask me to call you in it?"

Nathan nodded his head in response. "Then, yes, I would have called you. To tell you the truth, the reason I didn't want to call or see you was because I thought for sure that you regretted giving in and sleeping with me, and I wouldn't have been able to handle you telling me that, because I don't regret it at all."

"Then why did you reject me after the funeral when I told you I wanted to be with you?" he asked confused.

Haley blew out a breathe. "I was scared, Nathan – terrified, actually – that it would end badly again. I barely made it out alive the first time, I wouldn't be able to survive without you again."

"You can't let fear keep you from living your life, Hales," he pointed out.

"It only took a miserable month without you for me to realize that," she smiled.

Nathan beamed back at her. "So, what are you saying?"

"I want us to try and be together again," she told him.

Nathan's smiled widened; he leaned down and captured Haley's lips with his own. Haley smiled against Nathan's lips and kissed back. Without breaking the kiss, Nathan picked up Haley and spun her around in his arms. He set her down and they pulled away from the kiss still smiling at each other and laughing happily.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that," Nathan confessed.

"Believe me, I've wanted to say it for just as long," Haley replied still beaming. How are we going to make this work, though? We live completely separate lives, Nathan."

Nathan leaned down once more to kiss her quickly again. "Why don't we work that out later? I have to go see Dan," he whispered.

Haley sighed. "Nathan, I really don't think it's a good idea, this is probably just a ploy to try and get you back in his life, don't fall for it," she begged.

"Haley, if going to see him will keep that bullshit story out of the media, I'm going to do it. The last thing I'll ever do is stand by and watch someone hurt you," he vowed.

Haley smiled in gratitude. "Please be careful," she said, accepting what he had to do.

Nathan nodded and kissed her one last time before turning and getting in a parked taxi outside the club. Haley saw Nathan tell the driver the address of Dan's beach house and stood watching the yellow car drive away until she could no longer see the red taillights glowing in the night.

Haley turned and re-entered the club. She looked around to try to spot any of her friends but her eyes only roamed as far as the form of Rachel Gatina, who was waiting impatiently for Nathan's return. Haley marched up to her angrily. Rachel looked disgusted as she watched Haley stop in front of her. "What do _you _want?"

"Stay the hell away from me and Nathan," Haley demanded.

"I have no problem staying away from you, Nathan, however isn't going to happen. We have plans to go back to his place later on," she responded.

Haley laughed sardonically. "Really? That's funny, because the last time I checked, Nathan was staying at my house, in my bed with me."

Rachel glared at the shorter girl. "You better watch yourself," she warned.

"Or what? You'll publish that fake story about me on your worthless blog and take it to the press?"

"Exactly, so if I were you – which, thank God I'm not – I would watch my back because I have the power to ruin you."

Haley took a menacing step forward. "I'd like to see you try to get with Nathan after _ruining_ me. He wouldn't even want to be in the same city as you."

Rachel mimicked Haley and took a step forward as well so that the two girls were now almost touching. Both were breathing hard. "I guess we'll see, won't we. I'll be publishing the story later this week."

Before Haley could counter, both girls turned their heads at the sound of Brooke's voice. "What the hell is going on? Why are you talking to this whore, Haley?"

Haley noticed that Brooke, Lucas, Jake, and Peyton were all standing next to her and Rachel looking extremely confused. "Just making sure she knows who she's messing with," she replied while focussing her gaze back on Rachel.

"You don't scare me," Rachel glared.

"Publish that story, or any other story about me, and I promise you'll be changing your mind about that," Haley threatened and turned away from her to face her friends.

Seconds later, Haley felt something cold hit her back. She turned around quickly and saw Rachel smirking at her with a now empty glass in her hand. Before Haley could say or do anything, Brooke and Peyton had lunged at the red head in Haley's defence. Haley laughed as Rachel attempted to shield herself from her rabid friends, but they continued to try to attack her.

The attack didn't last long though. Two bouncers had made their way over to the scene and were breaking up the fight. They saw that Rachel had obviously thrown her drink on Haley and escorted her out of the club.

Haley looked back and saw that Jake and Lucas had their arms around their respective partner attempting to hold them back from trying to get to Rachel again. They seemed to have calmed down enough and Haley laughed as Lucas and Jake hesitantly let them go.

"I love you guys, but you really didn't have to attack her like that," Haley said still laughing.

Brooke scoffed. "Of course we did. Besides, that slut had it coming after the story she gave to that magazine."

"Speaking of stories, what story were you talking about after she said she wasn't scared of you?" Lucas asked.

"Nothing big, just this fake story that a couple people seem to think will ruin me," she shrugged.

"Well what's the story, and who thinks it'll ruin you?" he pushed.

"Lucas, it's fine, I'm handling it."

Lucas accepted her answer sceptically. "Do you guys wanna get out of here? We can just keep celebrating back at Haley's," Brooke suggested.

The group nodded and exited the club after paying their bar tab. When they got to their vehicle, Brooke stopped suddenly. "Where's Nathan? Is he still inside?"

"Nathan had to leave, he's got something to do," Haley answered.

"What? What is he doing?"

"It doesn't matter," Haley blew off.

Lucas shook his head. "Why are you being so damn secretive? First you won't tell us what you have to talk to Nathan about, then you don't tell us what the story Rachel has is about, and now you won't tell us where Nathan went or what he's doing. I want answers, now, Haley. "

Haley sighed. "All those things are connected, Lucas. And the reason I'm not telling you guys is because I don't wanna worry anyone until I know for sure it may actually be a problem."

Lucas stared at his best friend for a silent minute. "Keeping us in the dark makes us worry more, Hales," he admitted.

Haley smiled softly at him. "I know, Luke. I promise that when Nathan gets back home, I'll tell you guys everything, okay?"

Lucas nodded and the two got into the front seats of the SUV, noticing that Brooke, Jake, and Peyton had opted to give them some privacy. "Everything okay?" Jake asked when they got in.

"Yeah, it's fine," Lucas responded and began driving back to Haley's beach house.

* * *

Nathan walked up the steps of the gigantic house and pounded on the elegant French door. The door opened promptly to reveal a tall, broad man with dark hair. He smiled at the sight of Nathan and opened the door wider. "It's good to see you, son, come in."

Nathan glared at his father and walked into the foyer of the grand home. "To what do I owe this pleasure of you visiting?" Dan asked innocently.

Nathan scoffed. "What the hell do you think you're doing to Haley? Publishing a story like that isn't going to make me want to be anywhere near you."

Dan frowned. "I just want you to be happy. I thought maybe it would help if the press backed off you a little."

"I'm not buying it, Dan. You always did hate Haley; you just want to ruin her life to make yourself feel better," he said and turned to leave.

"Nathan, wait, don't leave!" Dan begged.

Nathan halted at the sound of desperation in his father's voice. He turned again to face his father and saw the pleading look on his face. "I went to Haley with that story because I knew it was the only way to get you to come see me."

"It doesn't change the fact that you threatened her with some piece of shit story that I can tell is already scaring her."

"Nathan, believe me, I only did that because I knew she would have to tell you."

"Why did you want to see me so badly? I've made it very clear that I want nothing to do with you!"

"I had to tell you something," Dan said solemnly.

Nathan looked surprised at the seriousness present in his father's tone. "Well, spit it out then."

Dan sighed deeply. "I'm sick, Nathan. My HCM has gotten worse and if I don't get a heart transplant I'll die."

Nathan stared silently at Dan before bursting into laughter. "Nice try. You think being _sick_ will automatically get me back in your life? I didn't think you'd go this low and fake a serious illness, but points for creativity."

Dan remained looking dead serious at his son. "I'm not lying, Nathan. You can phone and ask my cardiologist, I have two months to live."

Nathan's laughter stopped. "Why are you telling me this? I already knew about your HCM, Lucas and I are both fine, why should I care that you're dying?"

"I was just hoping that maybe I could spend time with you during my final months."

"You're not dying, Dan. We both know you'll stop at nothing, to get that heart."

"No, I won't, Nathan. I have nothing worth living for anymore, I've accepted that I'm going to die," he said peacefully.

Nathan shook his head. "Either way, the answer is no. I don't care how long you have left; I want nothing to do with you," he said and turned towards the door again.

As he watched his son begin to walk out the door, Dan spoke up and halted him once more. "Just so you know son, I was never going to let Rachel publish that story about Haley. She doesn't even know what it is. And if this is the last time I see you, I want you to know that I–I love you, Nathan, and I want you to go be happy."

Nathan looked at his father, stunned. In all his life, Dan had never once told him he loved him. He nodded in acknowledgement of the statement and spoke one last time. "Haley and I got back together tonight. I plan on being with her for the rest of my life, so I'll have no problem being happy," he said and walked out the door.

Dan remained standing in his foyer. He wasn't surprised that Nathan still wanted nothing to do with him after the way he had treated him his entire life. He smiled softly remembering what Nathan had said about being back with Haley. Dan knew that Nathan was head over heels in love with that girl and the only thing he wanted was for his son to be happy. _Both_ his sons, actually.

Nathan walked back into the cab that he took to the beach house. He had told the driver to wait for him to avoid having to call another one. He gave the driver the address of Haley's beach house and sat back on the uncomfortable seat and analyzed his conversation with his father. There was no doubt in Nathan's mind that Dan was telling the truth. Judging by the look on his face, Dan really had accepted his fate of death and truly wanted Nathan to be happy.

His father had finally changed it seemed. It only took facing death for Dan Scott to realize that he needed to change his ways. Nathan breathed a sigh of relief remembering that Dan had said Rachel didn't know what the fake story actually was and that he was never going to publish it anyway.

His father was basically on his death bed, and at this point in his life, Nathan couldn't be happier. The smile wiped from his face moments later, however, when feelings of guilt surfaced with in him. What kind of person was he that he was actually happy about his father dying, especially when he had witnessed Haley's immense struggle with her own father's death. He shook his head, reminding himself that the two situations were completely opposite and the smile emerged back on Nathan's face. Right now, he just couldn't wait to get back to Haley's so he could kiss her as much as he wanted and to tell her that they didn't have to worry about that story at all.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Nathan walked into the foyer of Haley's home. "Hello?" he called out when he didn't hear any signs of his friends in the house. He heard the sound of multiple sets of feet approaching him from the kitchen.

Moments later, Haley and his four other friends appeared. Disregarding the rest of his friends, Nathan walked straight towards Haley and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He buried his face in her neck and breathed her in. Haley ran her hands up Nathan's back and over his shoulders in an attempt to help him release the tension that was so clear in his form. "Is everything okay?" she asked quietly while pulling away from their hug.

Nathan smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Everything's great."

"Well, what happened then?" Haley asked confused. Nathan, however, had no plans on explaining his conversation with Dan just yet. Catching Haley completely off guard, he bent his head down and captured her lips with his. The pair heard Brooke and Peyton squealing in delight but ignored them and continued to kiss tenderly.

Nathan and Haley pulled away a minute later smiling contently at each other. "I promised Lucas we'd tell them what's going on when you got back, so do you wanna tell us about your visit now too?"

Nathan nodded and he put his arm around Haley's waist, turning them to face their friends at the same time. Brooke, Peyton, Lucas, and Jake were all smiling at the happy couple. "So, are you two finally together again?" Brooke asked giddily.

Nathan and Haley glanced at each other quickly and nodded their heads at their friends, beaming smiles forming instantly on both their faces. Their four friends congratulated them and the group headed into the kitchen and sat down at Haley's table.

"So what's going on that Haley's being so secretive?" Lucas asked, cutting to the chase.

Haley looked at Nathan for reassurance and then faced her friends again. "The last night of the tour, Dan was waiting in my dressing room. He said he was going to have a story released saying that I got pregnant and aborted the baby when Nathan and I were dating and that I didn't give him a say in the matter. Basically, the story would make him out to be the victim. Then before he left, Dan told me he wouldn't let the story be released if Nathan contacted him and the two of them had a good relationship."

"So that's what was bugging you when you got off the plane?" Brooke asked.

Haley nodded. "And that's why I told you guys that I needed to talk to Nathan."

Peyton scoffed. "He's a real jackass. Who could possibly be okay with publishing a story that's such a blatant lie?"

"Rachel," Haley replied.

"What?" Brooke asked shocked.

Haley shrugged. "I guess Dan's had Rachel working for him for a while now and he was going to make her be the one to go public with the story."

"Is that why you were fighting with her at Tric?"

"Yeah, not to mention she made a comment about going home with Nathan."

Nathan looked at her questioningly. "You were fighting with Rachel?"

Haley smiled guiltily at him. "Are you mad?"

He returned her smile. "I couldn't be mad at you for that. And for the record, I never even thought about going home with Rachel," he assured as the couple kissed quickly.

"Can you continue with explaining what's going on?" Lucas asked while trying to shake off the disturbing sight of his best friend and brother kissing each other.

Haley looked to Nathan, signalling it was his turn to speak. "Haley talked to me at Tric about Dan and I decided to go see what he really wanted from me."

"Nathan, you didn't," Lucas groaned.

"What do you expect me to do, Lucas? I'm not just going to sit back while Dan tries to hurt Haley!"

Lucas sighed. "I get that Nathan, but we promised we wouldn't let Dan back into our lives."

"And I don't plan on having him in my life again!"

"Okay, why don't we let Nathan finish telling us what happened before we start getting angry with him," Haley suggested attempting to diffuse the tension forming between the two brothers.

Lucas sat back in his chair and Nathan smiled at her gratefully. "So, I got to the beach house and he told me that he was never going to let Rachel publish the story and that she doesn't even actually know what the story is," he explained vaguely.

"Than what was the point in threatening Haley?" Jake asked confused.

"Because he knew if he did something like that to Haley, then she would tell me about it and, telling her he wouldn't publish the story if I had a relationship with him was a push to make sure he got what he wanted."

Nathan sighed. "The reason Dan wanted to see me was to tell me that his HCM has gotten worse and he only has two months to live without a heart transplant–which he's decided not to have–and he wanted to spend his final months on good terms with me I guess."

The occupants of the kitchen all looked at Nathan stunned. After a minute of silence, the sound of Lucas' laughter filled the room. "You're joking right? I mean, there's no way you actually believe Dan?"

Nathan looked at him seriously. "I didn't at first, but you guys didn't see the look on his face. For the first time in his life, Dan Scott actually looked scared."

"God, Nathan! This is exactly what I was just talking about! He's already sucking you back in again! You feel bad for him so you're going to give him what he wants!" Lucas yelled.

"No, Lucas, I'm not! I told him that I wanted nothing to do with him and that I didn't care if he was dying, then I walked out."

"Good. We can't let him suck us in."

"I don't plan to, Lucas, so will you just back off?"

"Fine, I'll lay off," Lucas conceded while putting his hands up in surrender.

"Did anything else happen?" Peyton asked to change the subject back to what Dan had said.

"No. I only stayed long enough to find out that Dan wasn't going to publish the story and he only told me about his heart as I was leaving."

Nathan then excused himself from the table to go to bed, claiming he was exhausted from travelling earlier in the day. The group watched his retreating form and turned their attention back to each other when he was no longer visible.

"You need to back off of him, Lucas. I hate Dan too, but you can't be angry at Nathan for feeling a need for some sort of closure with Dan. He isn't admitting it yet but it's obvious he's feeling that way a little," Haley said.

Lucas sighed. "I know he's feeling that way, Haley. I just can't bear to see Nathan be sucked back in by Dan and be manipulated and belittled by him all over again."

"Trust Nathan. He's not going to let Dan pull anything, that is, if he even decides to let Dan back in."

"Okay, I'll trust him. But if I see Dan poisoning Nathan's life again, I'll do everything in my power to rid our lives of Dan Scott for good," Lucas vowed.

"Thank you," Haley said and excused herself from the table to go to bed. Her four remaining friends followed her within minutes.

* * *

Haley walked into her bedroom and saw that Nathan had already changed and was pretending to be asleep. She smiled sympathetically at his form before walking to her suitcase and entering the bathroom to change as well.

When she walked back into the bedroom, she saw that Nathan was still fake sleeping and she walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge of it beside him. She ran her hand through his hair lightly before leaning down and kissing his cheek softly. Haley watched Nathan's eyes flutter open as she pulled away from his cheek.

"Hi," she whispered.

Nathan smiled up at her. "Hey."

"Fake sleeping?" she laughed.

Nathan merely shrugged in response. "Why were you trying to pretend?" Haley asked.

"I didn't feel like talking right now."

Nathan sighed in relief when Haley smiled softly at him and rose from the bed. His relief faded however, when light from the bed side table lamp filled the spacious bedroom. Haley sat down in her previous spot and smiled at Nathan again. "Too bad. I'm not going to let you dodge the subject."

Nathan looked at her with fear in his eyes. "How am I supposed to feel about this, Haley? My entire life I've hated Dan and now that he's going to die, I don't know what's expected of me."

"Honey, no one is expecting anything from you," Haley soothed. "It's okay to feel confused, or sad, or even angry. This came out of nowhere and no one will judge you for being emotional about it."

Nathan nodded and looked up to with desperate confusion shining in his eyes. "He told me he loved me, Hales. For the first time in my life, he told me he loved me."

Haley looked sympathetically at him and stroked his cheek lovingly. "If you need closure with Dan, I'll stand by you every step of the way. Whatever you feel you need to do, do it, and I'll be with you."

"I don't know what to do though, Haley. What kind of person am I if I actually feel relief knowing that my life will be free of Dan for good soon?"

"You're human, Nathan. Of course you'll feel that way. Dan made your childhood hell; you're only human for feeling relieved that you'll never have to deal with him again."

Nathan sat up and straight and put his head in his hands. "God I hate him!"

"I know you do, sweetie. Why don't we stop talking about him and go eat something before bed?" she suggested.

"Do you even have any food here?"

"Yeah. I asked Millie to make sure the kitchen was stocked," she said while grabbing his hands and the two proceeded down to the kitchen again.

When they got to the kitchen, Haley walked straight to one of the cupboards and took out two bowls. She opened one of the many drawers and placed two spoons next the bowls. Haley walked across the room to the fridge. She opened the freezer door and placed a container of chocolate ice cream on the counter beside the bowls.

Nathan chuckled at the sight of the cold treat. "Ice cream? Really?"

"What's wrong with ice cream? Last time I checked, you loved chocolate ice cream," she pointed out as she began scooping the dessert into the two bowls.

"Oh I wasn't complaining, I just didn't expect you to choose ice cream of all foods we could have."

"I'm full of surprises," she shrugged and slid a bowl to him from across the counter.

Nathan smiled at her and nodded in agreement as she walked around the island counter top and sat next to him. The couple sat next to each other silently eating their ice cream. When they finished, Haley rinsed their bowls and placed them in the dish washer.

She made her way back to her seat and sat down, propping her feet up on Nathan's lap. She smiled at him lovingly. "Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, thanks," he smiled appreciatively.

"I'll always be here when you need me," she replied and kissed him on the cheek.

Nathan nodded and stood up. Haley stood up as well and Nathan wrapped his arm around her waist to guide them back upstairs. Haley leaned her head gently on his shoulder and walked with him back to their bedroom to sleep.

* * *

Nathan and Haley walked along the Riverwalk taking in the beauty of their hometown. Brooke, Lucas, Jake, and Peyton had all flown back to their homes earlier in the afternoon. Nathan and Haley had opted to remain in Tree Hill a little while longer and decided to spend the day together around the town.

After visiting numerous locations in the pleasant town, the couple had finally made their way to the Riverwalk. They had been walking along it for a couple minutes already, taking in the sunset over the Cape Fear.

They had finally made it to their intended table and at down across from each other. They laced their fingers together and smiled happily. "Seven years later and everything looks the exact same," Nathan observed.

Haley nodded and took in her surroundings. It had only been about a month since she had last been at this table. At the time, she was too distraught to really observe the area, but looking at it now she saw that Nathan was right. Seven years had passed since the two of them had been at this table together and everything looked completely the same.

Haley was surprised to find that the memories of her and Nathan's last encounter at the table were not coming back to her. She was grateful that their past wasn't coming back to haunt them in a moment that they were so happy together.

"What are you thinking about?" Nathan asked.

Haley chuckled realizing she had zoned out. "Just how nice it is to be here with you, without our past hanging over us."

"Yeah, it's really nice," he nodded in agreement.

The couple sat at their table for a little longer before deciding to get something to eat. They entered a nice looking Italian restaurant further along the Riverfront. They were greeted by a star struck looking maitre d. The small man shook himself of is awe and led the amused couple to a secluded table.

"Let me guess, you're gonna get the mac n' cheese?" Nathan joked.

"Duh! And you're going to get the prime rib?" she replied.

Nathan smirked. "Some things never change, I guess."

Haley's laughter died down as their waitress approached the table. She rolled her eyes as she saw their _lovely_ waitress ogling at her boyfriend. She cleared her throat and the waitress turned her head, noticing Haley for the first time. Haley smiled sarcastically at the young girl and Nathan and Haley proceeded to place their food and drink orders.

After chatting lightly for a while, Nathan and Haley's food arrived and a comfortable silence enveloped them. Halfway through the meal, Nathan spoke up. "I think after this I want to go see Dan."

"Okay, we'll go back to my house and then you can take the car to Dan's," Haley said.

Nathan shook his head in protest. "No, I want you to come with me actually." Haley looked at Nathan with surprise written all over her face. He chuckled softly at her and continued to speak. "I need you there for support, I guess. I don't want to face Dan alone. This is going to be the last time I see him."

Haley smiled at him admirably. "I know how hard this must be for you to do."

"It's easier when I know your standing next to me."

"I'll always be next to you," she said with love shining in her eyes.

Nathan looked at her gratefully and the couple continued eating their dinner. After they finished, Nathan and Haley walked back to where they had parked their car in town and drove straight to Dan's beach house.

* * *

Nathan sat nervously in the driver's seat. He and Haley had just arrived at Dan's house. His palms were becoming sweaty from the nerves. Haley turned to him after a couple minutes of silence in the parked car. "Are you ready?" she asked softly.

He nodded his head and exited the vehicle. Nathan walked around the front of The SUV and opened Haley's door for her. She smiled thankfully at him and she took his hand, squeezing it lightly to offer reassurance to him.

They walked up the front steps and Nathan banged on the front door. Minutes later it opened to reveal an unkempt Dan Scott. Nathan didn't speak but walked into the house, dragging Haley in behind him. Dan closed the door after they entered and turned to face them. "Hello, son, Haley. I didn't think I would be seeing you again," he greeted.

"I came here for me, not for your sake," Nathan replied. "I wanted you to know that you're responsible for making my childhood a living hell, and I still haven't forgiven you for everything you ever said and did to me. You may die in a couple months, but I don't care. You ruined any chance at having a good relationship with me, or even Lucas, a long time ago. You've had a hold on me my entire life, Dan. Not anymore though. I'm done with you for good. I have a feeling you'll save yourself and get a new heart, even then though, I want nothing more to do with you. You will not be in my life, Haley's life, or my future children's lives. You're not going to suck me back in by telling me you love me, either. I'm done, and don't bother trying to make contact with me ever again," Nathan finished his rant and swung open the front door.

Nathan signalled for Haley to exit the house first, their hands still joined. As he stepped outside he looked to his father one last time and saw a look of acceptance on his face. "Goodbye, Dan," he said and closed the door behind him.

Nathan and Haley drove back to Haley's house in silence. She heard Nathan blow out a long breath right after he started the car, but he hadn't made a sound since. When they made it back to Haley's house, they both exited the car and walked to the front door, still in silence.

Haley unlocked the door and they stepped inside. The two slipped off their shoes and turned to each other. Haley looked worriedly at Nathan but he shook his head, signalling she needn't worry. He walked closer to her and bent down slightly to hug her tightly. Haley rubbed his back soothingly and kissed his neck softly.

They pulled away after minutes and Nathan smiled at her. "You have no idea how much weight it feels has been taken off my shoulders."

Haley returned his smile and ran her hand through his short hair. "I'm so happy for you, Nathan. I love you."

"I love you, too, Haley," he whispered softly and captured her lips passionately.

Haley returned the kiss with just as much fire. She felt Nathan's tongue run along her bottom lip, begging for entrance. Haley immediately opened her mouth to him. She squealed when Nathan picked her up suddenly and began carrying her to their bedroom with their mouths still locked.

A trail of shed clothes led from the front foyer to Nathan and Haley's bedroom. The sound of a slamming bedroom door resonated through the entire home. All that could be heard in the house now was the sound of Nathan and Haley's soft moans of pleasure, marking the commencement of their new start with the love of their life.


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks to everyone who reviewed last chapter, it means a lot ! :)

* * *

Chapter 18

A month had passed since Nathan's final conversation with Dan. Nathan and Haley had flown back to Los Angeles together later that week and they had been as happy as ever. Nathan was in the middle of NBA playoffs and was on the road every so often.

A couple weeks after arriving in LA, Haley realized she wasn't happy there anymore and decided to move permanently back to Tree Hill in order to be closer to her family. Nathan fully supported her decision and revealed his plans to be traded to the Charlotte Bobcats after his contract was up at the end of this season so they could remain together.

The couple had publicly confirmed their relationship the day after they got back to Los Angeles. So far, the press had stalked them and tried to publish countless stories about the duo. Nathan and Haley were scheduled to do their first interview together tomorrow on The View.

Haley was currently digging through her closet in search of something appropriate to wear to the interview. "Whoa, what's going on?" Nathan asked as he walked into the bedroom and saw countless outfits lying out around the room.

"I need you to help pick which outfit I should wear tomorrow."

Nathan chuckled. "Hales, it's just an interview. Who cares if you wear a dress or pants?"

Haley rolled her eyes. "A lot of people care actually. If I don't look good for interviews and events, people will tear me apart."

"I don't think you're asking the right person then, Hales, because I don't really care what you wear. You look good in anything," he smirked.

Haley smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're quite charming, you know that?"

"You haven't even seen my A game."

"Oh, Lord help me if that's true," she laughed before kissing him tenderly.

The two pulled away and Nathan walked over to the bed. He picked up one of the black pencil skirts Haley had sitting out and the royal blue blouse next to it. "This is your outfit," he smiled.

"You would choose blue," she returned his smile.

Nathan shrugged. "What can I say? It's my second favourite colour on you."

"What's the first?" she asked with a quirked eye brow.

"Green," he stated simply.

"Green? When do I like ever wear green?"

"Not often, but I love it when you do."

"I'll be sure to buy more green then," she winked and began putting away all the outfits she had taken out earlier. Nathan sat down on the bed and put his hands behind his head. He watched Haley intently as she walked back and forth across the room to hang up her clothes.

When he watched Haley hang up her last outfit, Nathan leapt up from the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Are you worried about tomorrow?"

Haley sighed deeply. "No."

He chuckled. "Nice try. What about it is worrying you?"

"They're gonna ask why we broke up. What are we going to say?"

Nathan wrapped his arms tighter and rubbed her sides gently. "What do you want to tell them?"

She shrugged in response. "I mean, I don't wanna lie on national television, but do you think we're ready to tell the world about what happened between us?"

"I don't know, babe. You were a lot more affected than I was at the time, so it's up to you."

Haley turned in his arms so she could look him in the eye. "Don't do that, Nathan."

"Do what?"

"Act like what happened between us didn't hurt you too, so don't tell me that decision is all up to me. You deserve a say too, Nathan."

"Okay, sorry, all I meant was that I think you should be allowed to decide whether or not to tell the truth, because the whole thing obviously affected you more," he smiled softly.

Haley nodded. "What do you think we should say though"

"Honestly?"

"Mmm-huh."

"I think we should tell the truth. If they ask, we can tell them exactly what happened. That way, we'll never have to deal with those fake stories that are guessing at why we broke up again."

"Okay. I think that's a good idea."

Nathan smiled and the pair kissed softly. After pulling away, Haley went back to re-organizing her closet and Nathan back to watching her in fascination.

* * *

Haley sat in the green room backstage at The View. She was nervous. This was the first interview her and Nathan had done since announcing they were together. She knew pretty much nothing was off limits in this interview, and she was dreading some of the questions that might be asked.

Nathan stood across the room leaning against the wall. He had been watching Haley for the last five minutes. He knew she was stressing out about this interview, but he didn't know how to help her. He continued to stare at her before walking to the couch and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head against him and blew out a breath.

"It's gonna be fine," he reassured. "I'm gonna be next to you the entire time, and there's nothing they can say that will hurt either of us."

Haley nodded and looked up at him."Yeah, I know. Thank you."

"No problem," he smiled and kissed the side of head lovingly.

The couple remained seated on the couch when the door opened quickly. "You guys go on in one minute," she said and signalled for Nathan and Haley to follow her out of the room. The couple rose from their seats and followed the lady to the entrance of the stage.

They stood anxiously waiting for their queue to walk on to the stage. After a couple seconds they heard the sound of Barbara Walters' voice. "Our next guests are super stars on their own. Together, they're the next A-list power couple. Please welcome, Nathan Scott and Haley James."

The lady that guided them out of the green room gave them both light shoves on to the stage. Nathan and Haley walked hand in hand across the stage to the couches set up in the centre of it. The audiences' clapping and shouting was deafening as the two made it to the centre of the stage to Barbara, Joy, Elisabeth, Sherri, and Whoopi.

They did the routine hugs with each other and sat down in the comfortable couches. The audience died and finally went quiet. Nathan and Haley sat next to each other with their hands linked, smiling at the View ladies. "So, Nathan and Haley, how are you two?" Barbara started.

"We're really good," Haley said with a beaming smile.

"How long have you been together now?" Elisabeth asked.

"About a month now," Nathan responded.

"But you dated in high school too, right?" Joy clarified.

"Yeah, for just over two and half years," Nathan said.

"What sparked your reconciliation?" Sherri questioned.

"Well, we hadn't seen each other since high school and back in February, two of our best friends got engaged, so our group of friends from high school all flew out to New York to celebrate with them. Then after spending like a week with each other, I guess all our feelings resurfaced."

"Wait, if that was February, and it's the end of April, why have you two only been together for a month?" Whoopi asked confused.

Nathan and Haley laughed to mask how uncomfortable they were with the question. "The night before Nathan was scheduled to go back home to LA, I got a phone call from my sister. My dad had a heart attack and unfortunately didn't make it. Naturally, I was preoccupied with that and being with my family and put Nathan and our possible relationship on the back burner."

Nathan chuckled. "Put me on the back burner? You ran for the hills from me. You wanted absolutely nothing to do with a relationship with me."

The audience and View ladies laughed softly with Nathan as Haley shook her head good naturedly at him. "Why didn't you want to be with Nathan? Look at the man, he's damn good looking!" Whoopi pointed out.

Haley laughed. "Yes, he definitely is. I was just afraid to get hurt."

"So when did you two finally decide to take a shot at a relationship again?"

"We actually had a bit of a falling out after Haley's father's funeral because she flat out refused to be with me. Then she went on tour and we met back up for our friend's birthday in our home town and we talked again and we decided to give it a shot," Nathan explained and ended with a kiss on the side of Haley's head, to which she responded to with a dazzling smile.

The audience cooed at the cute couple who were still beaming at each other. "Now, let's get to the drama!" Joy exclaimed.

Nathan and Haley watched as she held up five different magazines that were published before they had confirmed their relationship. All the headlines related to the reasons why Nathan and Haley could have possibly broken up in high school. Their smiles fell, knowing exactly what topic of conversation was barrelling towards them.

"You already told us you dated for a quite a while in high school. I think what the entire world is dying to know is, what caused your break up and seven years of estrangement?"

Haley locked eyes with Nathan and conveyed to him that she wasn't able to explain what happened between them.

Nathan took a deep breath. "Uh, in high school Haley and I were pretty much the definition of stability, we never had any major fights or problems, our entire relationship was just easy. At the end of our senior year, we had our traditional Friday movie night with our four other friends one night. We got back to Haley's house and I knew something was up with so we went inside to talk," he began and stopped to take another deep breath. "Haley told me she was pregnant. I behaved like an immature idiot and picked a fight with her and ended up breaking up with her and walking out."

The audience gasped at the hearing the bombshell Nathan just dropped. He nodded in acknowledgement and continued his story. "The next day, Haley and I met up, unplanned at this place we used to spend a lot of time at. She told me that she, er, got her–" Nathan cut himself off and looked uncomfortably at Haley.

Haley shook her head and smiled at him. "I told him I got my period and that I had gone to the doctor that morning to get the pregnancy confirmed. When Nathan and I were together, the doctor called me and told me that I had miscarried. I had what's referred to as a chemical pregnancy, where there are chromosomal abnormalities or something–"

"I behaved like an idiot again," he interrupted. "I thought it was great news and that we could get back together because we were problem free again. Obviously, Haley tried to put me in my place, but I just thought she was being over emotional about it and that it wasn't a big deal to miscarry after knowing you were pregnant for such a short period of time."

"After that, I didn't really go near Nathan very often. I was civil with him until graduation for our mutual friends' sakes, but for the most part I spent my spare time with other friends. We had one more big fight about a month after we broke up, and then after that we didn't speak for seven years," Haley concluded.

The audience remained silent as the ladies of The View looked at the couple stunned. "How did you ever reconcile after such a tragic ending?" Barbara asked while staring at Nathan and Haley in complete fascination.

Haley shrugged. "It took a long time and a lot of tears to get where we are today. But, we were both eighteen years old back then, a lot was said, most of it we didn't mean. After all our time apart, we both knew we still loved each other, the rest just doesn't matter."

Everyone in the studio looked admirably at the twenty something. "Does your semi-reconciliation a couple months ago have anything to do with the reason you and Alex Dupre split, Nathan?" Elisabeth asked.

"Yeah, that was definitely a contributing factor, but other things were also going on at the time that played a part in our break-up," he lied.

"What's next for you two?"

"We're just looking forward to living our lives together and being happy. After Nathan's season is over we're heading back to North Carolina for the off season. Who knows what we'll be doing after that."

Well, thank you both for coming today. We wish you the best of luck in your endeavours," Barbara said and the show went to commercial, allowing Nathan and Haley to exit the stage and proceed back to the green room briefly.

"You okay?" Nathan asked as he rubbed Haley's arm up and down.

"Surprisingly, I'm fine. It feels really good to have the truth finally out."

"Yeah," Nathan agreed with a smile. "Let's get outta here."

Haley nodded in agreement and the two walked hand in hand out the back door of the studio, walked to their car, and headed back to Haley's house.

* * *

Two days had passed since the taping of Nathan and Haley's interview on The View. It had been well received by all media outlets and the public. The media had already backed off them a lot and had apparently decided to finally give them some privacy to live their lives together.

Haley was currently packing a large majority of her clothes into suitcases to bring with her back to Tree Hill. She was scheduled to leave the next day, and was rushing around her house making sure she had everything she needed in her bags.

It was unlikely that Haley would return to her Los Angeles home in the coming months. After the playoffs concluded, Nathan would be joining Haley at her home in Tree Hill. Shortly after that Brooke and Lucas' wedding would be taking place and then about a week after that, Haley would be leaving for a world tour, which Nathan had chosen to join her on.

Haley was going to be beyond stressed and busy in the coming weeks, so she was stressing about having all her necessities packed and ready to go for her early flight tomorrow.

Nathan walked through the front door of the home after his basketball practice and saw Haley running with what appeared to be a blow dryer back to their bedroom. He laughed softly and followed her. When he got to their room, he saw four suitcases lying open on the floor. One was filled with shoes, two with clothes, and the last with accessories and other random stuff.

Haley turned around at the sound of a deep chuckle and instantly felt a bright smile grace her features at the sight of Nathan. "Hey," she greeted while walking over to give him a quick hug and kiss.

"I see you've been packing," he observed after pulled away from their kiss.

"Nothing gets passed you," Haley joked.

Nathan laughed. "Are you all packed yet?"

"I think so. I've looked over my list a few times and I don't seem to have forgotten anything."

"Good, now you have time to have one last nice dinner with me before you have to leave tomorrow," he said and pouted slightly at the end of his sentence.

Haley giggled softly. "You'll be fine without me. With basketball taking up so much of your time right now, you'll barely even notice that I'm not around."

Nathan shook his head in disagreement. "Trust me Hales, with you gone, it's gonna feel like basketball doesn't take up any time. I'm going to miss you," he said while burying his face in the side of her neck.

"Well realistically, how much longer are you guys going to last in the playoffs?"

"I don't think we'll make it past this round."

"And how long until this round ends?"

"Just over a week."

"I'm sure you'll be able to survive a week without me, Nathan," she smiled lovingly.

Nathan continued to pout slightly before nodding. "Yeah, I guess. It's just gonna suck. We haven't been apart for this long since we started dating."

"I know, baby. How about we eat dinner instead of dreading being a part for the next week," she suggested.

Nathan nodded and took Haley's hand and led her out to the kitchen. "What do you want me to make?"

"I thought we went over that you can't cook."

"Well tonight, I am."

Haley laughed. "Okay, then, how about chicken and salad?"

Nathan smirked. "Done."

Haley chuckled and sat back to watch her man work. After observing for about fifteen minutes, Haley found herself entranced by Nathan. "You know, you're kinda sexy when you're cooking," she flirted.

Nathan smirked and winked at her before continuing to cook them dinner. After another fifteen minutes, Nathan was serving their chicken and Caesar salad and had sat down across from Haley at the kitchen table. He watched intently as she swallowed her first bite of food. She smiled and began to speak. "I'm impressed Mr. Scott. This is really good."

Nathan sighed in relief. "Good, I'm glad you like it. I want our last night together to be really nice."

"It's perfect, Nathan. I'm glad we're spending the night quietly," she said with a smile.

Nathan reached across the table and took Haley's hand in his own. He rubbed is thumb over the back of her hand. Her eyes shined at him with immense love. "I love you, Haley."

"I love you, too, Nathan," she whispered back.

The couple leaned across the table and shared a quick kiss before going back to eating their dinner and enjoying their last quiet night in with each other for the next week.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Haley pushed the cart along the aisle of the grocery store slowly. She had arrived in Tree Hill a week ago and she was currently grocery shopping with her mom. She had been spending a lot of time with Lydia James for the past seven days, and Haley was thankful for every second of it.

She smiled as she saw a young teenage girl almost crash her cart into a stack of canned soup at the sight of her. She laughed softly and waved kindly before she continued pushing her own cart behind her mother, stopping every so often when they grabbed something off one of the shelves.

"Nathan flies in today, doesn't he?" Lydia asked.

Haley couldn't control the beaming smile that formed on her face. "Yeah, he's supposed to. I think he's gonna call me before his flight takes off.

Lydia smiled at how happy her daughter looked. "Things have been going well with the two of you, then?"

"Everything is amazing."

"That's good to hear, Haley-Bob. You know, I always did like Nathan."

Haley smiled at her mother and began to push the cart towards the check out. When they reached an empty lane, Haley glanced quickly to her right and saw the magazine rack. Two different magazines caught her eye, both of them with her boyfriend on the cover. She didn't look long enough to read the large headlines but sighed, shook her head and tossed them onto the conveyer belt, mildly interested in what they were saying about Nathan today.

* * *

Nathan pushed open the front door of his home and walked in, followed by three more men. He sighed and opened the fridge and pulled out four bottles of beer. "Haley's going to kill me," he said after taking a swig from his beer.

"I'm sure she'll understand, Nate," Clay said.

Nathan shook his head. "I told her that I'd be in Tree Hill within a week. We're out of the playoffs now, so why should I have to stay here even longer!"

"Nathan, calm down. It's not like Haley doesn't understand," Lucas reminded.

"They're right, Nathan. Haley's a good girl, she's not going to get angry at you for something that you can't control," Jake added.

Nathan nodded his head. "I know, I just miss her."

The guys chuckled at how miserable he sounded. "It's only been a week," Lucas pointed out.

Nathan glared at his brother. "Remind me again why I invited you out here?"

"Because you're team is in the playoffs and we haven't had some guy time for as far back as I can remember."

Nathan took another swig of his beer before placing the now empty bottle on the kitchen counter. "I guess I should go call Haley," he said and walked out of the room.

He walked into his bedroom and closed the door before pulling out his phone. He dialled the familiar North Carolina number and waited for his girlfriend to pick up.

"Hello," she greeted after the second ring.

"Hey," he replied with a smile spreading across his face at the sound of her voice.

"What's up? Are you at the airport now?"

Nathan sighed but was cut off before he could begin to speak. "You're not flying in today are you?" Haley asked.

"No, I can't. Coach is making have some stupid team meeting tomorrow," he explained angrily.

She chuckled softly. "Nathan, calm down. It's only one more day, we'll be fine."

"I miss you though, Hales."

"I miss you, too, but you have an obligation to your team, and you can't skip that meeting."

"I know," he huffed. "It just sucks. I was looking forward to seeing you today."

"I know it does, but you have Lucas, Jake, and Clay to hang out with until tomorrow. You guys will have fun."

"Yeah, I guess. I still wish I was on my way to the airport instead of at home right now."

Haley smiled at how clearly put out he was at not being able to see her as soon as possible. "Are you going to fly out right after your meeting tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I already changed my flight, so I should be in Tree Hill by tomorrow night."

"Sounds great. What are you going to do until then?"

"I don't know. Lucas, Clay, and Jake are in the other room right now, so we'll probably just have a low key night here. What are you up to?"

"Nothing much. I just got back from grocery shopping with mom, so I'm putting those away now."

"What about later on tonight?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll probably end up watching a couple movies and then going to bed," she shrugged.

"That'll be nice. I guess I should get back to the guys. Who knows what they're doing. I'll talk to you tomorrow though, okay?"

"Okay, bye babe."

"Bye, Hales. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Nathan smiled softly and ended the call. He walked back into the kitchen and saw his friends standing around the counter awaiting his return. "Was she mad?" Clay asked upon seeing his client.

Nathan shook his head. "She was fine actually."

"I told you," Lucas said.

"How about a couple games o f NBA Live? I don't know about you guys, but I don't feel like going to a club tonight," Jake spoke up.

The other guys agreed and begin walking into Nathan's family room when they heard his phone begin to ring, indicating a new text message. He pulled out his phone and read the message. His brow furrowed and looked back up to his friends. "Sorry, guys, something's come up, I have to go. You can stay here and hang out though," he said before turning and exiting the house quickly.

Lucas, Jake, and Clay looked at the space Nathan had occupied seconds earlier in confusion. "What just happened?" Clay asked.

"I have no idea," Lucas replied and began walking to the family room once again, wondering why his brother had to leave so suddenly.

* * *

Haley set down a basket full of unfolded clothes on a coffee table in her family room. She began pulling out item after item and folding it neatly before setting it on the couch. She had began doing idle tasks as soon as she got up that morning in order to complete them before Nathan arrived. She had talked to him yesterday when he told her he wouldn't be able to fly in until today; she was expecting his phone call from the airport any time now.

Just as she finished folding the last piece of clothing, Haley's phone rang. She dug it out of her pocket and flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Hey, baby, I'm at the airport now," Nathan spoke.

Haley smiled at the sound of his voice. "When does your flight take off?"

"I think they'll start letting us board in like half an hour."

"How long is the flight supposed to be?"

"Like four and half hours, or something."

"I can't wait to see you," Haley said with the smile still painted across her face.

"I can't wait to see you either."

Haley opened her mouth to speak but halted when she heard another familiar voice talking on the other end of the line. "Hey, what about me?" Lucas asked.

Haley chuckled as she heard Nathan curse at his brother for stealing his phone. "I'm excited to see you, too, Lucas."

Lucas laughed. "Thanks, Hales. I'll see you later."

Haley listened as the phone was passed back to Nathan. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "I should go though, and let you get back to whatever you were doing."

"Okay, I'll see later."

"Okay, I love you, Haley."

"I love you, too, Nathan," she replied and hung up the phone. She put it back in her jeans pocket and picked up the basket full of folded clothes and walked to her bedroom to put them away.

When she had finished, Haley walked into her kitchen and noticed the magazines she had bought at the grocery store the day before sitting on her kitchen table. She had yet to read them, so she grabbed them and walked back into the family room and looked at the cover of the first one. It claimed that Nathan was cheating and that the full story was inside. She laughed softly but flipped to the story anyway, in need of a little humour.

When she turned to the page where the story started, a picture on the side of the page caught her eye. It was of Nathan hugging a medium height, blonde woman. The woman was wearing what looked to be a skimpy tank top and a pair of very tight jeans. Her face was hidden as the picture was taken from behind the woman, but Haley could very clearly see Nathan kissing the woman's cheek.

She averted her eyes from the picture and began reading the article. It, however, did not comfort Haley in the slightest. It didn't disclose the woman's name but provided very fine details about the affair occurring between her and Nathan, stating that it began during the time that she and Nathan weren't together during the tour, and it had not ended when they got back together.

Haley closed the magazine and threw it onto the coffee table. She picked up the second one and opened it to the indicated page for the story about Nathan cheating. This time, she was met by a picture of Nathan and the same blonde woman walking hand in hand to what looked like a motel room door. Again, the photo was taken from behind so she could not see the skanky woman's face. Haley knew it was a separate occasion though, because both she and Nathan were wearing different outfits than in the other picture.

Haley didn't even bother reading the article to go with this picture, but instead threw the magazine onto the coffee table with the first. She rose from her seat and walked to the kitchen and began pulling out all the drawers. She didn't know why she believed these silly stories when she knew firsthand how often they lied. Haley knew she needed to trust Nathan, but something about these stories seemed so real that she just couldn't find that trust in her.

Four hours later, Haley had managed to re-organize every drawer in her kitchen, vacuum the entire second floor, mop all the hard wood floors, and was currently in the middle of ordering all her DVDs alphabetically based on the leading actor's last name. She had just finished putting Brokeback Mountain next to The Day After Tomorrow, when she heard her cell phone ringing in her pocket for the second time that day.

Haley pulled it out of her pocket and saw Brooke's name flashing across the screen. She sighed and answered the call. "Haley, turn on TMZ, like right now."

"What?"

"Just do it, Haley!" Brooke replied and Haley heard the click of the other end hanging up. She stared at her phone for a second completely confused and then grabbed the remote and turned the TV to the channel TMZ was on.

Her eyes bulged as she saw Nathan with the same blonde, with her face once again obscured. She and Nathan were both wearing different outfits than in the previous two magazines. In this particular photograph, the woman and Nathan were hugging once again, but this one was taken of them in the doorway of the motel room they were walking towards in the previous picture. The woman also appeared to rubbing _her_ boyfriend's back.

Haley turned the TV off having seen enough and called Brooke back. She picked up on the first ring but didn't speak. "What should I do?" Haley asked.

Brooke sighed. "So you've seen the magazines too, then?"

"Yeah. What should I do, Brooke?" she repeated.

"Confront him about it. There's no use burying it, and if he really is that much of a scum bag to cheat on you, kick his ass to the curb."

"Do you think he's actually cheating?" Haley asked timidly.

"I don't know, Hales. I mean, the boy loves you, but the pictures are saying otherwise right now."

"Yeah, I know. Him and Lucas should be here in like half an hour or so. I guess I'll ask him about it once Lucas leaves. Do you think it's a bad idea to book a flight up to New York right now, just in case he admits to it? I wouldn't be able to stay here with him," she said fearfully.

Brooke rubbed her temples trying to figure out what to say to her friend. "Book the flight. If anything happens, you're coming up here and staying with Lucas and I. It doesn't mean you think he's cheating; it's just a precaution, right? You can cancel it when he tells you what's going if you have to. Either way, call me after you talk to him, okay?"

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

"Don't worry too much about this, Haley. I'm sure Nathan has a good explanation."

"Yeah, probably. Bye, Brooke," she said and hung up the phone.

* * *

"Haley, we're home!" Nathan called out into the silent house. Nathan and Lucas walked further into the foyer of the home and they heard soft approaching footsteps. Haley appeared in the doorway and smiled slightly at the boys. She walked over to Nathan, kissed his cheek and hugged him quickly before moving to Lucas and giving him a real hug.

Nathan looked at Haley in confusion. He thought for sure she'd greet him a lot more enthusiastically than that. He watched as she and Lucas pulled away from their hug and began exiting the room without him. Lucas turned around when he noticed his brother wasn't following. "Aren't you coming, Nate?"

Nathan snapped out of his daze. "Yeah, sure."

Haley turned as well when Nathan replied. "Why don't you go put your stuff away and then come back down?"

He nodded and looked at her in confusion again as he passed her on his way to the stairs. He had no idea why she was acting so strangely towards him, especially when they hadn't seen each other in a week. He entered their bed room and put his bags at the foot of the bed before going back down the stairs and in to the kitchen where he could hear the sound of Haley's laughter.

He watched as Lucas held a container of ice cream above his head and out of Haley's reach. She was laughing and attempting to get it down through jumping up and knocking it out of Lucas' grasp. She appeared to be failing miserably, however, and Lucas finally conceded and placed the container next to two bowls set out on the counter.

Haley scooped the chocolate ice cream, alternating between the two bowls. When she finished she grabbed two spoons and put them in the bowls before handing one to Lucas and taking the other for her. She turned around and noticed Nathan standing in the doorway. "Did you want some ice cream, baby?"

"Sure, why not."

"Okay, I'll leave it out for you then," she replied and walked along side Lucas to the chairs opposite the kitchen counter.

Nathan walked over to the ice cream and began scooping it into the bowl he took out for himself. "So, Luke how was the flight?" he heard Haley ask.

"It was okay, just long, and boring, you know?"

"Yeah. I've never been a fan of flying," she shrugged.

"I never knew that," Nathan piped in after returning the ice cream to the freezer and grabbing his bowl.

Haley turned her gaze to him. "I guess there's a lot we don't know about each other."

Once again, Nathan was beyond confused. What did she mean by that? Of course they knew a lot about each other, they'd known each other their entire life for Christ sakes! He returned her heated gaze before speaking. "Can I talk to you in the other room, Hales?"

"I guess," she shrugged and slid of the stool she was seated upon and followed Nathan to the next room.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked when they were out of Lucas' earshot.

"No. Why would you think that?"

"You've been acting really weird since me and Lucas got here," he explained. "Well, actually, you've been acting weird towards _me_ ever since Lucas and I got here."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Nathan. Everything's fine," she said and returned to the kitchen with Nathan following her still confused.

* * *

"See you later, Luke," Haley said before closing the front door. A few hours had passed since the boys had arrived back in Tree Hill, and Lucas had just left to go back to Karen and Keith's where he would be staying until tomorrow when he was flying back to New York.

"Now that he's gone, do you wanna tell me why you're acting so weird?" Nathan asked as he appeared in the foyer.

Haley surveyed Nathan for the first time since he arrived home. She recognized that exact outfit, but she couldn't place it. She continued staring silently at him for the next few minutes when she finally realized why she recognized it. That was the exact same outfit that he had been wearing in that picture that was on TMZ. "Did you wear that outfit all day today?"

"No, I was wearing it yesterday and put it back on for the flight because it's comfy. Why?"

"So, yesterday, when you were supposed to be hanging out with the guys, you were actually meeting up with some blonde bimbo?" she asked calmly.

Nathan's face dropped. "What are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about, Nathan. It's in the magazines _and_ all over TMZ!"

"What is?"

Haley shook her head and stalked into the family room where the two magazines still sat on the coffee table. She picked them up, opened them both to the page with the picture of Nathan and the woman and threw them at his chest. "These god damn pictures of you and this little whore are everywhere! The best part is that they're obviously taken on different days based on the different clothes."

Nathan looked at the magazines in shock. Before he could respond to his livid girlfriend, he heard her turn on the television. He looked up and saw another picture of himself with the 'blonde bimbo' that was taken yesterday. "Haley, I'm not cheating on you," he assured her.

"Then who is that girl and why are you meeting her at a motel, Nathan?"

Nathan scratched the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I can't tell you," he said quietly.

Haley scoffed. "You're unbelievable. You actually expect me to believe that you're not cheating on me, but you can't tell me who that whore is?"

"Yes."

She shook her head in disbelief. "I have to go," she said and began walking to the front door.

"Haley, don't go!"

"No, Nathan. I'm done. I gave you a second chance, and you go and break my heart again! Don't bother following me; I don't want anything to do with you anymore. I won't be in a relationship with someone who cheats on me," she cried and slammed the front door behind her.

Nathan stared at the closed door in shock. Haley just broke up with him because she thought he was cheating on her. He was at a loss for words at the sudden events that had transpired and no idea what he could do to fix it.

* * *

Haley was still crying as she drove across town to the one place she could stay until her flight to New York the next morning. She parked her car on the side of the road and opted to knock on the door on the side of the house, instead of the front one.

It swung open after the second knock and she came face to face with her best friend. He looked at her bewildered before bringing her into his arms. "What happened?"

"We broke up," she choked out.

"Why?" Lucas asked in shock.

"Can we talk about it tomorrow, Lucas? I just needed somewhere to stay until morning."

"Of course you can stay here, Hales. But what about after tonight?" he asked as he ushered her into his bedroom and closed the door.

"I booked a flight to New York earlier. Brooke said I could stay with you two."

"Okay, are you on the same flight as me?"

"Eleven a.m. take off, first class?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied.

Haley nodded. "Same flight."

Lucas nodded and looked at his broken best friend. He enveloped her in another hug and guided them over to his bed. He laid them down side by side with his arm around her. Lucas let his best friend cry on his shoulder until she finally fell asleep hours later.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 

Haley awoke early in the morning next to Lucas. It only took her a fraction of a second to recall the events of the previous night, which ended in her breaking up with Nathan. She didn't regret it, but it still hurt like hell to have to do it. The way he flat out denied her cheating allegations but then back pedalled into saying he couldn't tell her who the girl was, Haley was positive he was having some sort of affair with the woman. Cheating was a deal breaker; she wouldn't change her beliefs for Nathan, end of story.

Haley rolled over and came face to face with Lucas. She noticed that he was wide awake and staring at her worriedly. "Are you okay?"

"Um, not really, but I'll get through it," she shrugged feigning indifference.

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Already trying to act strong, I see."

"No, just trying to come out of this in one piece."

Lucas wrapped an arm around his child hood friend. "It's going to be fine. I know Nathan's my brother, but you're also my best friend, so if you need me, I'm here."

"I know, thanks, Luke."

He nodded in acknowledgement and glanced at the alarm clock on his bed side table. "It's 8 o' clock so we only have about an hour before we have to leave for the airport. Wanna get some breakfast before we start getting ready? I think I smell mom cooking already."

"Yeah, sounds good," Haley said and the pair got out of bed and walked into the kitchen where Karen, Keith, and Lily were gathered. The three occupants looked up when Lucas and Haley entered the room.

"Haley, I didn't know you were here. I thought you'd be with Nathan," Karen said.

Haley visibly flinched at the mention of being with Nathan but smiled sadly at the woman who she thought of as a second mother. "Nathan and I broke up last night, actually," she replied quietly.

"Oh my. What happened?" she asked sympathetically.

Haley looked down at her hands as she wrung them together. "Um, I'd rather not talk about it," she said when she looked back up at Karen, with her eyes beginning to water.

"Of course," Karen nodded and walked over to Haley and hugged her. A minute later while still hugging Karen, Haley felt another, smaller pair of arms wrap around her mid section. She pulled away from Karen and looked down to see Lily hugging her as well.

Haley smiled at the seven year old brunette and stroked her soft hair before bending down to be at eye level with her. "How are you Lily bug?"

The young girl gave Haley a toothy grin. "I'm good!

"That's what I like to hear," Haley laughed and stood up again.

"Do you kids want some breakfast?" Karen asked.

"Mom, in case you didn't notice, Haley and I aren't kids anymore, we're 25." Lucas pointed out with a smile.

"Nope, you'll always be the little ten years that would run around the house playing for hours to me."

Lucas shook his head good naturedly as he watched his mom start piling food onto two plates for himself and Haley. He glanced at the kitchen table and saw that Haley had settled herself next to his little sister and was chatting animatedly with her while Keith looked on amused. Lucas smiled and walked over to them with their plates of food in hand. He set Haley's down in front of her and sat down in the chair next to her before beginning to inhale his mom's delicious cooking.

* * *

Lucas sat on his bed towel drying his wet hair. He heard a knock on his door to outside and got up to answer it. He was met by a miserable looking Nathan Scott. "Is she here?" he asked quietly.

Lucas nodded but didn't open the door wider to let him inside. "She's in the shower. We're leaving for New York in about fifteen minutes."

If possible, Nathan's face dropped more upon hearing that Haley was leaving Tree Hill. "I need to see her, Luke."

"I don't think that's a good idea, Nate. She hasn't talked about what happened with me, but I do know that she doesn't want to see you right now."

Nathan sighed. "Lucas, you have to let me see her!"

"No, Nathan. I don't know what happened but Haley's my best friend and I have to think about what she needs right now. You're still my brother and my best man, but I need to focus on Haley right now. I'm sorry," he said and closed the door.

Lucas turned around and saw that Haley had just entered the room. "Who was that at the door?"

"Oh, just some guy selling something," Lucas shrugged.

"They come to your door now?"

"Yeah, every now and then."

"That's weird. You would think they'd go to the front door."

"I don't know. Who cares though, it's not a big deal," Lucas said, uncomfortable lying to his best friend.

Haley nodded. "I guess. Anyway though, when are we leaving?"

"We just have to say bye to mom, Keith, and Lily, and then we can go if you want."

"Yeah, sure, that sounds fine," she said and walked out of the room to the living room where she suspected Karen, Keith, and Lily were, with Lucas following closely behind her.

"Okay, we're taking off now," Lucas said as they entered the room and saw his family sitting together on the couch.

The three looked at Lucas and Haley and stood up. Lily approached him first and hugged him tightly. "Bye Lucas," she said quietly.

"Bye, Lily, I promise I'll see you soon."

Lily pulled away from her brother and walked over to Haley next. She raised her arms, signalling she wanted Haley to pick her up. Haley smiled at the little girl and did as she requested. Lily wrapped her arms around Haley's neck tightly. "Promise you'll come back soon."

"I promise. I'll be back before you know it."

Haley set the young girl back on the floor and walked over to Keith as Lucas said good bye to his mom. "Bye, Keith," she said while hugging him quickly.

"Bye, Haley. And whatever my idiot nephew did, I'm sure you'll be okay."

Haley smiled at the man. "Thanks."

Keith nodded and Haley finally walked over to Karen to say her last good bye. The older woman enveloped Haley in a comforting hug upon approaching each other. She rubbed her back softly while whispering in her ear. "See ya, kiddo. Be safe, and try not to think about Nathan too much."

"I'll try not to."

Karen nodded. "I love you, Haley," she said with a smile as she pulled away from their hug.

"I love you, too, Karen."

Lucas and Haley said one final good bye to the family before exiting the house with their bags in hand. The pair drove to the local airport and checked in and went through security before making it to their gate to wait to start boarding their flight.

* * *

Lucas and Haley had sat in silence in the airport until the attendant announced that they were allowed to board the plane. The twosome had quickly stood and walked on to the medium sized airplane and into the designated first class section. They took their seats next to one another and once again fell into silence until just after takeoff when Lucas finally spoke.

"Are you ready to talk about it yet?"

Haley sighed and shrugged indifferently. "I guess."

"So... what happened? You guys were even acting weird when I was at your house, now that I think about it."

Haley sighed again and took a deep, cleansing breath. "Nathan was cheating on me."

Lucas looked at his friend in shock. "Are you serious?"

"There's a bunch of different pictures of him with this same girl in magazines and on TV."

"Did you ask him about it? I can't see Nathan ever cheating on you, Haley."

Haley nodded. "He denied it."

"Then what's the problem..." Lucas asked confused.

"When I asked him who the whore was, he said _he couldn't tell me_," she explained angrily.

"Did you give him a chance to explain why he couldn't tell you who she was? There's gotta be some sort of explanation for this."

"Whose side are you on, Lucas?" Haley asked in outrage.

Lucas threw his hands up. "I'm just saying maybe should have given him a chance to explain himself. As for whose side I'm on, I think it's pretty clear seeing as I'm sitting next to _you_ and I refused to let Nathan see you when he came over this morning."

"He came over this morning?" she asked quietly after turning her head quickly to face him.

Lucas sighed. "Yeah. It wasn't a salesman at the door after your shower, it was Nathan. I told him you didn't want to talk to him, and I made him leave."

Haley closed her eyes and leaned her head on the seat. "Do you believe he cheated?"

"No," Lucas said and rubbed his best friend's shoulder.

"In LA, did he ever like sneak off from you guys or anything?" she questioned wearily.

Lucas remained silent for a few seconds before taking a deep breath. "When I was there, there was one time the day before yesterday after he called to tell you he couldn't fly out."

"What happened?" Haley urged.

"We were gonna go play PlayStation and then he got a text and left really quickly without telling us who it was or where he was going," he said softly.

Haley dug the back of her head deeper into the seat's head rest and let out a small whimper. "How could he do this to me? I mean, cheat on me _right_ after we talked on the phone?"

Lucas leaned his head against his friend's. "He's a dick and doesn't deserve you."

Haley nodded her head and let her tears flow freely down her face, wondering why and how Nathan could possibly cheat.

* * *

Lucas and Haley walked into Brooke and Lucas' penthouse apartment. Brooke was unable to pick them up from the airport because she had a meeting for work that wouldn't be finished in time to get them, so the two had taken a cab. The two friends dropped their bags in the foyer and walked further into the apartment, toward the kitchen where they saw lights.

"Hey guys!" Brooke greeted when the duo entered the room. She walked over to Lucas and kissed him tenderly as Haley stood beside them awkwardly. She cleared her throat after they two still hadn't pulled away from each other after a couple minutes. Lucas and Brooke pulled away puzzled before seeing Haley and remembering her presence.

Brooke walked to Haley with her arms open and wrapped them tightly around the shorter girl. She rubbed her back softly. "So you were right then?"

Haley nodded slightly in response and Brooke shook her head in disbelief. "He's an asshole. Next time I see him, he's dead."

Haley pulled away from the hug with a laugh and wiped her eyes of the forming tears. "That won't be necessary, Brooke. I just want to forget we even tried to be together again."

"Yeah. Well, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you need," she said.

"Thanks, you guys."

Lucas and Broke nodded in acknowledgement before Brooke turned back to the cutting board behind her, with Lucas moving to help her. "What are we having anyway?" he asked.

"Just some sandwiches."

Lucas smiled at his fiancée's lack of cooking ability and grabbed three small plates from the cupboard. He placed the now three finished sandwiches on their individual plates and carried two of them over to the table with Brooke following him with her plate in hand.

The group of three was eating their simple lunch in silence until Brooke scoffed, catching Lucas and Haley's attention. "Sorry. I just can't believe what a douche bag Nathan is."

Lucas shook his head. "I still don't believe he did it. There _has_ to be some sort of explanation."

Brooke scoffed for a second time. "How could there be an explanation for secretly meeting up with some blonde whore a bunch of times, Lucas?"

"I don't know, Brooke. But I do know my brother, and I don't believe he's capable of doing that to Haley."

"Oh, yeah, because he hasn't done something even worse before," she retorted sarcastically.

"Whatever, I just can't see Nathan cheating."

"And again, it's not like he's never broken her heart before!"

"Yeah, well–"

"Guys! I'm right here you know," Haley interjected. "And I'd really appreciate if you two wouldn't start fighting over my problems with Nathan, I mean, you're getting married in almost two weeks, you should be all happy and blissed out over each other, or something!"

"Sorry, Hales," they apologized in unison.

Haley laughed softly at them. "It's alright. I'd rather stay away from the subject of Nathan for now though, okay?"

"Yeah, okay, we'll lay off the Nathan talk for a little while," Brooke said.

Haley smiled in thanks and went back to eating her lunch. When she finished she placed her dirty plate in the kitchen sink and left the room to go unpack her bags.

When she made it to the room she had always stayed in, she turned on her cell phone and saw that she had three miss calls, all from Nathan. Haley sighed and called her voicemail, deleting the messages he had left before even bothering to listen to his apologies.

She sighed and continued putting all the clothes she had managed to throw into her suitcase last minute before Nathan got home.

* * *

"Hi, mom."

"Haley James, why did I just go over to your house to visit, and find out from _Nathan_ that you two broke up yesterday night?"

Haley winced. "Sorry. I didn't really have time to call. It just happened really fast last night and then I left Tree Hill this morning."

"And where, might I ask, are you now?"

"New York. I'm staying with Lucas and Brooke for a while."

"Why wouldn't you just come stay with me? It's a lot easier than leaving Tree Hill completely."

"I couldn't be in the same town as him, mom. I can't handle seeing him around or having him try to apologize all the time, I just had to get away from him," she explained desperately.

Lydia sighed. "What exactly happened?"

"He was cheating on me, mom, with some random girl."

Her mom gasped. "How did you find out?"

"There are pictures in a bunch of magazines and they're all over TV too."

"Oh, Haley, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

"No, not really," she replied brokenly. "The reason I didn't want to try again with him was because I was afraid he'd hurt me again. Then I finally let my guard down and he goes and breaks my heart again."

"I know, baby. You don't deserve to get hurt again, and he obviously never deserved you."

Haley nodded as tears began falling down her cheeks. "It hurts so bad, mom."

Lydia frowned at hearing the sound of her daughter's broken voice. "I know it does, but you're a strong girl Haley Bob, you're going to get through this."

"Thanks, mom," she said. "I'm going to let you go now, I think I'm gonna go for a walk or something."

"Okay, sweetie. Call me later."

"I will, bye," Haley said and hung up her phone. She remained seated on the couch in Brooke and Lucas' family room and let her tears continue to fall. As she let out an agonizing sob, Brooke rushed into the room and wrapped her arms around the girl's racking form.

"Shh, it's okay. Just let it all out."

Brooke rubbed her friend's back as she continued to cry on her shoulder. After fifteen minutes, Haley's crying had worn her out and she had fallen asleep against Brooke. Brooke sighed and gently moved the girl off of her and grabbed Haley's cell phone. She walked into the hallway and scrolled through the contacts until she landed on the name she was looking for before dialling the number.

"Haley?" Nathan picked up the phone frantically.

"You're a fucking dick," Brooke seethed.

Nathan's eyes widened in surprise. "Brooke? Why are you using Haley's phone?"

"You probably wouldn't have picked up if you saw it was me calling, so I'm using Haley's phone. I only managed to get it because she just fell asleep after I've been holding her while she cried hysterically over you on my couch."

"Are you calling to hurt me, Brooke? Because that's all you're doing."

"Yeah, I am. You deserve to be hurt right now, especially with how devastated Haley is right now, you asshole."

"I am hurting, and she broke up with me, Brooke! I didn't do anything!"

"Are you kidding me, Nathan? You _cheated_ on her! You call that not doing anything?"

"I didn't cheat on her, Brooke!" he tried desperately to convince her.

"Oh yeah? Then who's the blond whore you've been secretly meeting with?"

Nathan sighed. "I can't tell you."

"You expect _anyone_ to believe you didn't cheat when you won't even tell anyone who the girl actually is?" she scoffed. "You're a bigger douche bag than I thought."

Nathan began to reply, but Brooke stopped him when he heard the sound of the dial tone. She stared at the cell phone angrily before walking back into the family room. She placed the cell phone gently back on the coffee table where she had found it and turned to the couch where she saw her friend begin stirring from her short nap.

Brooke walked quickly out of the room and returned moments later with a container of Ben & Jerry's cookie dough ice cream in hand. She smiled softly at her now alert friend and placed the container, along with two spoons in front of the girl. She walked over to her and Lucas' DVD collection and popped a disc into the player when she found the one she was looking for.

She turned off the overhead lights and the room was bathed in darkness. Brooke finally walked back over to the couch and sat back down next to Haley. She wrapped an arm around her before grabbing the ice cream and peeling off the lid. She handed one of the spoons to Haley and took one for herself too.

Haley smiled softly at her friend when the opening screen for A Walk to Remember appeared on the TV. "A good old fashioned chick flick marathon always helps," Brooke smiled back as she pressed play.

"Thank you," Haley responded quietly and dug her spoon into the delicious ice cream. She took a bite and leaned her head on Brooke's shoulder as they watched the beginning minutes of the first movie of their chick flick marathon that night.

Brooke smiled in acknowledgement and squeezed her friend's shoulder comfortingly before turning her attention back to the movie. She wanted nothing more than to help her friend feel better in light of the break up, and she knew a sad movie marathon was exactly what would help her let out all her tears. Break-ups involved a number of steps, and excessive crying over anything and feelings of vulernability was the first one.

Brooke smirked, knowing one of the next steps after a break-up was anger. She couldn't wait for her friend to get to that step so that Nathan could realize how badly he screwed up.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 

Two weeks had passed since Haley left Tree Hill. Lucas and Brooke had been busy making last minute wedding preparations almost every day, and they group of three were sitting down to eat dinner as a group for the first time since Lucas and Haley's first night back in New York.

"So you guys have finally finished all your planning?"

"Yeah, it's a good thing too, with the wedding in three days," Brooke said.

Lucas shared an excited smile with his fiancée. "Are you girls excited to go back to Tree Hill again tomorrow morning?"

"No," Haley sighed and Brooke and Lucas directed their gaze to her. "I really don't wanna see him."

"We know, Hales, but sooner or later you're gonna have to face him," Lucas told her.

"Have you talked to him at all since you left?" Brooke asked.

"No. He tried calling once last week after news of our break up surfaced in the tabloids, but I didn't pick up," she shrugged.

The week before, the news of Nathan and Haley's break up had been released by the media. She was flabbergasted when she saw it flash across her TV screen. Haley had no idea how the media could have possibly found out when she had only told people she knew would never say anything. There were pictures of an upset looking Haley leaving the airport with Lucas, and that combined with all the speculation of cheating, Haley assumed the media put two and two together and concluded that the pair broke up.

"Did he leave a message or anything?"

"Nope, but I probably wouldn't have listened to it if he had."

"Well, when you do see him tomorrow you'll have us plus Jake and Peyton behind you, so there's nothing to worry about," Brooke reassured.

Haley nodded and stood up from the table. "I'm just gonna go pack," she spoke quietly before exiting the room quickly.

Brooke turned to Lucas with worry shining in her eyes. "She's gonna be okay, right?"

"Of course she's gonna be okay. Whether Nathan and Haley get back together or not, she'll get through it because she has all her friends and family to help her," he smiled.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Brooke agreed with a backwards glance at the door Haley had exited it through a minute earlier.

* * *

The locked clicked and Haley pushed the front door of her Tree Hill beach house open with Brooke and Lucas following her. She dropped her bags in the foyer and walked further into the house, inspecting every inch along the way. Nathan's car wasn't parked in the driveway when they arrived, and apparently it wasn't in the garage either.

Haley didn't know whether or not Nathan had remained in her house while she was in New York, but judging by the dirty dishes piled up in the sink, she was willing to bet that he had. She scoffed at his ability to be such a slob and walked back to where Lucas and Brooke remained standing in the foyer.

"I guess he's been staying here still."

"Really?" Brooke asked surprised.

"Yeah, I mean, it's not like he had anywhere else to go, so it was either stay here or go back to LA, I guess," she assumed.

"Good p–" Brooke began but immediately dropped her sentence when the sound of the garage opening could be heard in the room.

The trio remained silent as the door from the garage opened and slammed shut. Haley shut her eyes briefly in preparation of the confrontation sure to occur in a matter of seconds. She turned around to face the entranceway that she knew Nathan would walk through in order to enter further into the home.

Haley watched as Nathan stopped dead in his tracks as he turned the corner to enter the foyer of the house. His eyes bulged at the sight of Haley, Lucas, and Brooke standing there. He stood in his place staring at the three of them for a few minutes, still in shock, until he finally managed to find words. "What are guys doing here?"

"In case you forgot, two of your best friends are getting married in two days, and their combined bachelor/bachelorette party is tomorrow night," Haley responded impatiently.

"Yeah, I remember," he said quietly. "What I meant was what you guys are doing _here_, at this house."

Haley stared at him in complete shock as Brooke and Lucas winced, knowing he had said the wrong thing. "This is _my _house, Nathan. You may have been staying here for the past two weeks, but I do in fact own it, not you."

Nathan remained silent and Haley shook her head in disbelief before walking out of the room. Nathan directed his gaze to Brooke and Lucas. "She still doesn't believe that I didn't cheat on her then?"

Brooke glared at the man before her and brushed by him quickly as she exited the room and walked in the direction that Haley had taken off to. Lucas shook his head when Nathan focussed solely on him. "I don't even know what to believe anymore. For a guy that didn't cheat, it's pretty suspicious that there's a bunch pictures of him with the same random girl all over the place."

"Lucas, I would _never_ cheat on Haley. I love her too much."

"That's what you say, Nate, but then why couldn't you tell her who the girl was, considering you love her so much," Lucas speculated.

Nathan was on the verge of responding when the sound of angry footsteps could be heard approaching them quickly. Haley's slight figure appeared in the archway with Brooke's coming into view seconds later as well. She looked at Nathan furiously and marched up to him. She raised her right hand and slapped him hard across the face. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" she yelled while raising her left hand to show him the red makeup bag she was holding.

The room was deathly silent as all eyes were on Nathan as he thought of an appropriate response. "Haley, it's... it's not what it looks like."

"Then what is it, Nathan? Because it looks to me like as soon as I left, you thought it'd be okay to bring the whore you cheated on me with into _my _house to stay with you!" she screamed. "You know what, on second thought, I don't want to hear your bullshit excuse. Just get the hell out of my house and take the damn bag too," she continued and threw the makeup bag at his chest.

"Please, Haley, I can explain."

"I don't wanna hear it, Nathan. Now get out."

"Where the hell am I supposed to go?"

"I could care less where you go, as long as it's far away from my house," she said forcefully.

Nathan stared at her longingly before turning and walking passed his brother, out the front door of the home.

Haley watched as the door slammed shut and turned quickly before stalking off in the direction of the backyard. She vaguely registered the sound of her friends following her as she slammed the back door behind her and walked onto the patio. She walked over to the edge of the pool and plopped down on the hard cement around it. She dipped her feet in the pool and bent so that her head was in her lap briefly while blowing out a long breath.

Haley didn't bother turning around when she heard the sound of the patio door open and close. Brooke walked over to her hesitantly and nudged Haley in the shoulder as she sat down next to her, dipping her feet in the warm pool water as well. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Haley gritted out stubbornly.

"Oh, come on, Haley. For once can you not bottle up your emotions and _really_ talk to me about what's going through your head?"

Haley looked down at her lap before looking back up and kicking her foot forcefully, causing water to splash forward. She laughed humourlessly while shaking her head. "God, I'm such an idiot!" she exclaimed angrily. "I mean, he broke my heart once and I thought 'hey, it'll work out this time,' because you know, Nathan has obviously changed _so _much."

"You're not an idiot, Haley. You loved Nathan enough to give him a second chance after he made a huge mistake. Being a forgiving person does not classify you as stupid."

"Well, if being a forgiving person means I get hurt all the time, then I don't wanna be that type of person, because it clearly hasn't gotten me that far."

"You're kidding, right?" Brooke asked but received no indication that Haley was in fact joking. "Haley, being forgiving is part of who you are. It's part of what makes you such an amazing person to be around. Everyone screws up, and you're amazing enough to be able to understand that and forgive people. Don't you dare try to wish that you weren't that way, because so many people love you for it."

Haley answered with a long, drawn out sigh before the two friends fell into silence. "He brought her into my house, Brooke," she pointed out brokenly minutes later. "He brought the girl he cheated on me with _into_ my house."

"I know, honey. But you know what?"

"What?"

"Nathan's always been an asshole, even when we were kids," Brooke stated simply.

Haley laughed softly. "I still didn't see this one coming."

"No one could have, Hales. You know what I think you should do though?"

Haley sighed and slumped her shoulders. "What should I do?"

"Let him see that you're unaffected by everything. No matter how angry or hurt you are, don't show it to him. That way, he'll think you're done with his ass for good."

"Easier said than done, Brooke," she muttered hopelessly.

Brooke nodded in agreement and wrapped her arm around her friend, allowing the girl to rest her head on Brooke's shoulder. "You can do it though. You're the strongest person I know, Haley."

Haley raised her head and looked at Brooke with confusion written on her face. "What makes you say that?"

"Haley, are you serious? How can you not see how strong you are? With all the crap that you went through with Nathan back then, becoming a superstar when you were what, like 20? Dealing with the fame and spotlight that young, plus some of the horrible things published about you, not to mention losing your dad, and being able to make it through that. Do I need to keep going? Because I can go on," Brooke smiled.

Haley smiled at her friend and spoke quietly. "Thanks, Brooke."

Brooke squeezed her Haley's shoulder gently and the two girls both turned their heads to stare across the pool at the large patio. They sat in a still silence until the sound of the back door opening and closing had them turning to see Lucas approaching them tentatively. When he finally made it to the girls he sat on Haley's other side, dipping his feet in the pool like the two of them had. "You okay now, buddy?" he asked.

"I've been better. I'll definitely be able to start feeling better once I see your asshole brother again and cut his balls off," she shrugged.

"Okay then," he smiled slightly uncomfortable and the three friends fell into a calm silence.

The silence was broken minutes later when the sound of Haley's grumbling stomach was heard. She blushed softly and rubbed it as Brooke and Lucas laughed. "What do you two say about going over to the cafe for a late lunch?" Lucas suggested.

"Oh my God, that sounds heavenly," Haley practically moaned and her two friends once again laughed at her antics. She shrugged unabashedly and attempted to make them get up faster in order for her to get some food.

* * *

"Hey, Mom," Lucas said as he, Brooke, and Haley walked into Karen's Cafe for an early dinner.

"Oh, hi, kids," she said as she rung up her the only table she had left occupied. "Have a seat anywhere; I'll be with you in a second."

Lily was perched on one of the stools at the counter and she smiled and waved excitedly at them before jumping down and running into Haley's arms. "You came back!"

Haley laughed. "I told you I'd see you before you knew it, silly girl."

The young girl smiled and rested her head on Haley's shoulder. Ever since she had been born, Haley and Lily were extremely close. Although Haley had not visited Tree Hill for a long time before her father's funeral, she managed to see Karen, Keith, and Lily whenever they flew out to New York to visit Lucas.

Lily had grown up seeing her mother treat Haley as one of her own children, and immediately began forming a sister like bond with the woman. Lily adored her and Haley had always absolutely loved the young girl.

"Hey, aren't you excited to see your big brother?" Lucas asked, feigning hurt.

Lily raised her head and signalled for Lucas to take her from Haley's arms. She happily passed the child over to her best friend and smiled when she wrapped her small arms around Lucas' neck. After a moment, Lucas set her down and she hugged Brooke before returning to her seat at the countertop and began to finish eating her dinner.

The trio then walked to a booth at the side of the restaurant and waited in a calm silence for Karen to come take their orders.

"Let me guess: mac n' cheese, chicken Caesar salad, and a cheeseburger with extra onions and bacon with a side of fries, all with cokes."

"Can you make mine a diet coke, please, Karen?" Brooke asked as Lucas and Haley smiled at her superb guessing abilities.

"Brooke, you're perfect exactly the way you are, there's no need to be drinking diet _anything_," Lucas said in bewilderment.

Brooke shrugged. "Better safe than sorry. I can't gain any weight between now and the wedding, because if I don't fit into my dress I would have to kill someone."

Lucas and Haley laughed and the group fell into a quick silence until Karen reappeared with their beverages. "So, how are the three of you doing?" she asked, focusing her gaze on Haley.

"Me? Oh, I'm just super," Haley exclaimed sarcastically.

Karen smiled sympathetically at the girl and squeezed her shoulder gently. "It'll get better eventually, kiddo."

Haley scoffed and spoke bitterly. "Can't wait for that day to come."

Karen frowned and looked at the other woman worriedly. She walked away after conveying that worry to her son and future daughter-in-law, who nodded discretely in acknowledgement.

"You know Hales, sooner or later you're gonna have to let it go," Lucas said lightly.

"Let what go?" she replied sharply.

"The fact that Nathan may or may not have cheated."

"May or may not have? Lucas, he cheated. Or did you not see the God damn make up bag that I found in my house?"

"Well maybe if you actually gave him a chance to explain, you would see that there's actually a reasonable explanation for the whole situation."

"So you're saying that there's an acceptable explanation for cheating on someone you love?" she questioned. "Wow, Luke, good to know you care about me."

Lucas groaned in annoyance. "Will you stop being such a bitch to me? I'm not the one that hurt you, so there's no reason for you to get so defensive with me!"

Brooke's eyes bulged and she immediately jumped into the conversation. "You did _not_ just call her a bitch."

"It's the truth! Every time I even slightly defend my brother she bites my head off!"

"For good reason! The scum bag cheated on your best friend Lucas! I personally don't understand why you keep defending Nathan either, regardless of whether or not he's your brother, the proof is there that Nathan cheated."

"What do you mean proof? All the _proof_ there is to say that Nathan cheated is a bunch of pictures from unreliable, trashy entertainment sources and a fricken purse that could be anyone's!"

"Thanks for showing your support, Luke," Haley said unbelievably.

"I would support you more if you would actually listen to me when I try to talk about it instead of biting my head off."

"Whatever," she said and slid out of the side of the booth she was sitting on and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Lucas asked incredulously.

Haley stopped walking and turned around to face him and Brooke. She noticed that Karen had also stopped carrying their food to the table and was almost halfway between the two parties, looking on in bewilderment. "Suddenly I'm not hungry anymore and I'm not about to sit here and let you defend your asshole brother while calling me a bitch. Thanks, but no thanks," she finished sarcastically and stormed out of the small cafe.

* * *

Haley walked along the Riverfront in an angry silence. Why is it that Lucas felt the need to continue to pester her to forgive Nathan? It's like he was going all team Nathan on her, always defending him to her. She was completely fed up with it; the last thing she wanted was to be fighting with her best friend over something that no longer mattered, every time it was brought up. Not to mention it was affecting Lucas' relationship with Brooke too. Hence why she just walked away from her friend in the middle of their argument; she never meant to have it affect anyone else's life other than her and Nathan's.

As Haley continued to walk she looked farther into the distance of the boardwalk. She stopped dead in her tracks upon noticing a tall, raven haired man sitting on a bench. The man wasn't alone though, he was resting his head against a blond woman's while the arms she had wrapped around him rubbed his arm.

Tears began welling in Haley's eyes at the sight of the man she knew she still loved with another woman so close to their 'spot.' She continued to stare for a couple minutes before shaking her head in defeat and turned on the spot. Maybe Nathan Scott had moved on to a younger, better looking girl. Haley continued to walk aimlessly around Tree Hill in devastation, completely broken at the image of Nathan with that woman frozen in her mind.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry for not updating for the past couple of weeks, but if you read the note I posted on my profile then you know that I'm pretty swamped with school and work and all around emotionally drained and scarred after one of my classmates passed away suddenly. I'm gonna try my best to update more quickly, and just so you know after this chapter there's only going to be three more.  
Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed last chapter! **

* * *

Chapter 22

Haley walked around her kitchen silently, trying to begin preparing a small breakfast for herself. After seeing Nathan and his new woman at the docks yesterday evening, she had opted on taking a cab home over walking and locked herself in her bedroom, going back and forth between crying uncontrollably and feeling extremely angry for the rest of the night.

Brooke and Lucas had both knocked on her door numerous times last night, attempting to see if she was okay and in Lucas' case, apologize for being a jackass. She didn't bother answering any of the attempts though; she was just too confused and upset to want to interact with anyone at that point.

Haley had gotten up early this morning after a terrible night's sleep and was currently wearing a pair of old sweatpants and an old sweater with her hair pulled back in a messy bun, unfortunately putting emphasis on her bloodshot eyes. She was absolutely dreading having to actually get dressed later on in the day to go out for Brooke and Lucas' bachelor/bachelorette party at Tric. Not to mention that she was going to have to face Nathan there too, seeing as it was only their small group of friends going to the club.

She sighed as she heard the sound of someone knocking on the front door. Obviously Brooke and Lucas had yet to awake so Haley walked into the foyer and opened the front door. She stared in shock at the sight of Nathan standing in front of her with none other than Deb Scott standing about a foot behind her son's form.

Nathan stared at Haley, silently pleading with her to let him in. She opened the door wider and allowed Nathan and Deb to walk into the home. At that moment, Lucas and Brooke came walking down the staircase that ended in the foyer. They two looked shocked at the sight of Nathan and Deb standing in Haley's house.

The group stood in an awkward silence until Nathan cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Haley, can I, uh, talk to you?"

Haley nodded apprehensively and walked up the stairs into the study with Nathan following closely behind her. She closed the door behind them after he had entered the room to ensure the other occupants of the house did not hear their conversation. She had a fleeting thought of how awkward it would most likely be back downstairs and smiled slightly thinking of what Brooke may possibly do in an attempt to break up that awkwardness, but she quickly shook it off as she turned back to look at Nathan. He was rubbing the back of his neck and running his hand through his hair, ruffling it in the process.

Haley sighed. "So it was your mom in the pictures then?"

"Yeah," he answered quietly while nodding.

"Why didn't you just tell me that? It would have saved us both a lot of heartache, Nathan," she asked perturbed.

"Because it wasn't that simple, and it still isn't, Haley."

"Well why don't you enlighten me?"

He ran his hand over his face and took her in. "You've been crying," he pointed out.

"I saw you at the docks last night," she supplied.

Nathan's face displayed understanding immediately. "You thought I brought some new girl to our spot?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "But can we get back to why telling me you were with Deb supposedly isn't simple?"

He sighed. "I was trying to protect her."

"From me? What could you possibly need to protect her from, Nathan? She's a grown woman!"

"Dan!" he yelled. "After high school, their divorce finally went though and then all of a sudden my mom was addicted to prescription pills and drinking all the time. She's been in and out of rehab for the past seven years and she called me like six months ago and told me she was ready to leave rehab again. I've been meeting up with her every now and then to make sure she's okay still, but I didn't want the media to know who it was because I knew Dan was still keeping tabs on me and if he knew where mom was, I was sure he'd try to get to her."

"That still doesn't explain why you kept it from _me, _Nathan. It's not like I'd run up to Dan and tell him how to get in touch with her."

"I didn't think I had a choice! The last thing I wanted was for my mom to back to rehab _again_, so I figured the easiest way to protect her from that was to not let anyone know that she was out in the first place and definitely not that I was in contact with her."

"So it's just better to break my heart? Let me break up with you for thinking the love of my life is cheating on me?"

"Why do you think I'm here now?"

Haley scoffed. "Seriously? We've been broken up for two weeks and you're only getting around to explaining yourself now, Nathan. In my opinion, that's not something to be proud of."

"I know, okay? I was an idiot and put my mom before our relationship. I'm so sorry, Haley. I realize now how stupid I was to do that and I came over here first thing after she almost killed me when I told her we broke up because I was protecting her."

Haley sighed and smiled lightly at him. "Please tell me she kicked your ass."

Nathan laughed and shook his head at her. "She bitch slapped me."

"No way."

"Yeah. It was actually when we were at the docks yesterday. I was upset about our fight earlier on and she was trying to make me feel better and then she ended up asking me why we broke up in the first place. I didn't even see her hand move..." he trailed off as he watched Haley burst into a hysterical laughter. "Does this mean you forgive me?"

Haley's laughter died down and she flashed a dazzling smile at him while walking forwards. "You are on notice, Nathan Scott. Have a little more faith in us and be the man that I love."

Nathan nodded and pulled her into his arms. He squeezed her tightly and buried his head in the crook of her neck, taking in her scent. "God, I missed you so much, Hales," he spoke softly.

He felt Haley nod her head and squeeze him a little tighter. "I missed you, too, Nathan."

Nathan smiled and kissed her neck softly before pulling away from their hug. He was still smiling as he laced their hands together and began walking out of the bedroom. The couple walked down the stairs and into the family room where Lucas, Brooke, and Deb appeared to be waiting anxiously for them to enter.

Upon seeing them, the group all smiled and Brooke jumped off the couch and ran over to Haley. Thinking Brooke was going to hurt him, Nathan winced at her fast approach. As she made it to them, she looked at him puzzled upon seeing his flinch before laughing softly. "Relax boy toy, I'm not going to hurt you." she assured. "Unless I have a reason to hurt you?" she finished while looking questioningly at her best friend.

Haley smiled at Brooke and shook her head. "Everything's fine now," she said and squeezed Nathan's hand.

Nathan flashed a brilliant smile at her and swooped his head down to capture her lips with his. Haley smiled against his lips before responding to the tender kiss. The pair pulled away minutes later and saw Lucas with a disgusted look on his face, Deb smiling happily at the couple, and Brooke looking at them with a giant smirk.

"You two are _so _going to have crazy make up sex tonight!"

Haley's eyes bulged at hearing her friend's comment and she blushed a deep red. "Brooke!" she reprimanded while subtly pointing out the fact that her boy friend's mother was still in the room.

Brooke turned and glanced at Deb before turning back to face Nathan and Haley. "Oh please, we all know it's true."

Deb laughed and nodded her head in agreement. "You two could never keep your hands off each other. I remember walking into my son's bedroom one morning while you guys were in high school and the two of you were both sleeping, completely naked, judging by the clothes I saw all over the floor."

"Oh my God," Haley groaned and buried her now beet red face in Nathan's chest. She felt is chest moving and looked up to see him laughing. She glared and smacked his arm before burying her head back into his chest. "This isn't funny, Nathan! You're mom walked in after we had sex!" she mumbled.

Nathan wrapped his arms around her embarrassed form and moved his face down next to her cheek. "Come on, Hales, it was so long ago! She is right though, you never could keep your hands off of me and I'm sure Brooke's right too, and you'll be all over me like usual tonight," he whispered so only she could hear.

Upon hearing his words, Haley turned her head slightly and glared at him again. "Watch it, mister"

He laughed softly and Haley rested her head on his chest, facing the other three people in the room still. Deb smiled at the picture the couple made and cleared her throat to direct attention to herself. "Anyway, I just want to say how happy I am that the two of you have found your way back to each other, and that I'm so sorry, Haley that I'm the reason that my idiot son let this break up happen in the first place."

Haley smiled at the older woman. "Thank you, Deb."

"Well, now that that's taken care of, Tutor girl and I have to go get ready for tonight!" Brooke interrupted and grabbed Haley's arm in an attempt to drag her out of the room.

"Brooke, it's like nine in the morning."

"So? We're gonna lose time when we go pick up Jake and Peyton from the airport and it takes a long time to look just right!" she defended while still pulling her friend's arm.

Haley yanked her arm free of Brooke's death grip and turned her head to Nathan. "I'll see you later?"

"Definitely," he said and kissed her one last time before allowing Brooke to pull her away and up to one of their bedrooms.

* * *

Haley walked into the club with Brooke and Peyton on either side of her. After picking up Jake and Peyton up from the airport, the three girls spent the entire afternoon getting ready for their night out at Tric. It also gave them plenty of time to fill Peyton in on what had happened to Nathan and Haley since the last time the girls had spoken. She wasn't thrilled at first to find out about what a douche Nathan was to Haley, but by the end of the story she was contented and supportive of the 'Naley reunion,' as Brooke referred to it as.

The trio walked further into the dark building in search of the boys. It took them about five minutes, but the three of them finally spotted the men seated at a booth off to the side of dance floor. They walked over quickly and took their seats next to their respective partner.

Nathan beamed at the sight of Haley beside him and instantly pulled her face to his and locked their lips together in a passionate kiss. When they pulled away they saw all their friends looking at them with smiles on their faces.

"It's good to see you guys happy together again," Jake said. Everyone else nodded in agreement and Nathan wrapped an arm around Haley.

The group began chatting idly about the day when Brooke spotted a waitress walking past the table and ordered three rounds of tequila shots for them. The woman arrived back at the table shortly after and placed the tray down with six salt shakers and bowl of lime wedges.

Brooke rubbed her hands together in anticipation and passed out a salt shaker to each person along with a shot glass filled with the amber liquor. Each member of the group raised the small glass in the air. "To Brooke and Lucas, may you two have an amazing life together," Jake toasted. Each person smiled, licked their hand before pouring salt on the wet spot and licking it off again, downed the shot quickly, and grabbed their lime wedge quickly.

They all dropped the used wedges into a separate bowl and Brooke immediately shoved the next shot into their empty hands. The group went through the same steps for their last two shots as they had for the first one, each person feeling the effects of the alcohol on their body afterwards.

Shortly after, Brooke decided she had to dance to 'this sick ass song' and dragged Lucas with her, along with Peyton, who in turn brought Jake as she felt the urge to dance as well. Nathan and Haley opted to remain at the table, content with just being with each other quietly.

After a minute of silence between the couple, Haley turned her head that was rested on Nathan's shoulder. "What's your mom doing tonight? I feel bad just leaving her all alone."

Nathan smiled at how caring she was. "She's fine. She called Karen this morning and she was so excited to hear from my mom that she invited her to stay with her, Keith, and Lily. I think she said her and Karen are going to have a quiet night and catch up."

"That's really nice of Karen. Especially when the house is already gonna be crowded with you, Luke, and Jake there tonight too. It's good that her and your mom and re-connecting again though."

Nathan furrowed his brow in confusion. "Wait, why am I gonna be at Karen and Keith's house tonight?"

"Because it's Brooke and Lucas' wedding tomorrow, silly!" she giggled, the alcohol she had consumed clearly affecting her.

"I thought it was only the bride and groom that couldn't see each other? No one's ever mentioned anything about the best man and maid of honour."

"Too bad. This is how we're doing it, and I'm sure you'll be able to survive one more night without me."

"But I don't want to," he pouted.

Haley laughed. "You're so needy when you're drunk!"

"I'm not _needy_, I just know that my girls beautiful and that I want to spend the night with her," he scoffed.

Haley smiled at him and brought her lips to his ear. "How about I make you a deal?"

Nathan instantly perked up. "What is it?"

"You go back to Keith and Karen's after we leave like you're supposed to, and when Lucas and Jake fall asleep you come over to my house and spend the night."

Nathan nodded his head eagerly. "I like that idea."

She laughed loudly and shook her head. "One more thing though."

"What is it?"

"You have to leave before Peyton, Brooke, Lucas, or Jake wake up."

Nathan continued to nod his head excessively and Haley smiled at him before kidding his lips softly. "When do we get to leave?" he asked impatiently.

Haley patted his shoulder. "Not for a couple hours. Let Brooke and Lucas have their fun on their last night of freedom!"

Nathan huffed. "Yeah, whatever."

Haley rubbed his shoulder comfortingly as she giggle softly. "It's okay, baby, it'll be over before you know it."

* * *

Haley tiptoed quietly to the front door of her home. It was just passed midnight now and Nathan had finally just arrived. Their group of friends had decided to head to their respective homes for the night at around eleven, so as to ensure they didn't over do it and ruin the wedding the next day.

Nathan had been beyond excited to get out of the club so much earlier than he expected and had wasted no time in trying to get Jake and Lucas to go to sleep. Unfortunately, his two friends had decided they wanted to play a couple of games of NBA live before packing in for the night. Even worse, what was supposed to be a quick game or two turned into about five after Lucas had beaten Nathan for one of the first times ever and Jake insisted on having a shot as well.

Nathan could have cared less about the stupid video game. He lost because all he was focussed on was getting to Haley's house as quickly as he could. Finally after Lucas and Jake had both had the opportunity to beat him at his own game, the guys decided it was time to go to bed in order to be able to wake up on time the next morning.

It only took Lucas and Jake a few minutes to fall asleep with the alcohol pumping through their veins. When he was sure they were out cold, Nathan got up and got in his car, which he had had brought in from New York last month. Since he had refrained from drinking after he and Haley had made their little deal, Nathan was fine to drive and managed to make it out to the beach fairly quickly.

He leapt out of his car quickly and closed the door as quietly as possible. After knocking on the door lightly it opened after only a moments wait and Nathan came face to face with his stunning girlfriend in a pair of small blue shorts and a white tank top. She smiled at him and pushed his way into the house, immediately kissing her hard.

"Someone's a little eager," Haley joked as she pulled away while laughing.

Nathan shrugged. "Seeing how gorgeous you are, I think most people would understand."

"Uh-huh," she nodded while biting her lip and Nathan practically groaned upon seeing the torturous action. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to meet her lips. He smiled against them and picked her up swiftly before walking over to the staircase and climbing quickly.

He made it to Haley's bedroom and closed the door behind them as he walked them into it, all the while still kissing her passionately. He finally set her back on the floor and pulled away from her just enough to be able to gaze into her chocolate brown eyes. "You have no idea how much I missed you, Hales."

"I missed you too, Nathan," she replied breathlessly.

Nathan responded with a tender, love filled kiss. He began backing them up towards Haley's bed slowly. When the back of her legs made contact with the frame, she sat down and moved backwards, pulling Nathan with her until they were both laying down, Nathan bracing his large frame over the petit woman.

He pulled back once again and stared at her in complete awe. "God, I love you."

Haley smiled softly at him in return. "I love you, too."

He nodded, in slight disbelief that the amazing woman before him actually loved _him_. He then smiled and bent his head down once again to kiss her more roughly this time. The two worked on removing the other's clothing as fast as possible and the reunited couple spent the remainder of the night showing each other just how much they loved and needed one another.


	23. Chapter 23

**Well, for those of you that read the note on my profile, you know this chapter is up sooner than expected! I stayed home today to watch the royal wedding so I found time to get typing away and here we are! I just need to say that Kate Middleton looked so gorgeous and I'm so happy for them! Anyway though, this is the third last chapter and I'm going to try my absolute hardest to finish this story by the end of next week. Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed last chapter and I hope you enjoy this one! **

* * *

Chapter 23

Haley was giggling uncontrollably as she tried to push her large boyfriend out the front door. The pair had overslept and it was already nine in the morning. Haley knew Brooke and Peyton would wake up soon and Nathan had to be out of the house before that happened or they would never let her live it down. Nathan however, could care less about what Brooke and Peyton had to say about him sneaking into the house late last night to be with Haley. All he cared about was being in her presence just a little while longer.

"Fine, fine, I'll leave now," Nathan said.

"Okay, I'll see you later," Haley replied and leaned up to give him a quick kiss.

Nathan had other plans though and immediately deepened the kiss and plunged his tongue into her mouth. Haley didn't object to his action and responded quickly. The couple became so caught up in their passionate good bye kiss that they failed to hear the sounds of two sets of footsteps coming down the stairs. It was only when they heard the sound of a cat call that they realized that they had an audience and broke apart.

A light blush spread across Haley's face when she turned and saw the massive smirks that were spread across her friends' faces. She ignored them and turned her head back to face Nathan who was also smirking. "Okay, time for you to go now."

"Alright, I'm going!" he laughed and kissed her temple lovingly before waving at Brooke and Peyton and exiting the house.

"I so called that you two would have crazy make up sex!" Brooke claimed.

Haley blushed again and shrugged. She walked passed her two friends and into her kitchen to prepare breakfast for the three of them.

"Oh come on, Hales! Aren't you at least going to tell us how it was?" Peyton asked as she and Brooke followed her into the room.

"Nope," she replied.

The two girls looked at her in disbelief. "But we always tell you about our sex lives!"

"Well maybe I would have shared if you two hadn't interrupted us just now."

"Fine, be that way, Traitor girl!" Brooke pouted like a young child.

Peyton and Haley looked at their friend with smiles on their faces. Brooke was beyond comical when she didn't get her way sometimes and she would often resort to guilt tripping to get her way.

"Nice try, Penelope, it's not going to work."

Brooke shrugged and sat down at the island countertop beside Peyton. "It was worth a try."

Haley and Peyton laughed together and Haley began preparing their breakfast. Minutes later, Brooke clapped her hands giddily to gain the attention of her two best friends. The girls looked up at her startled. "I'm getting married today you guys!"

The three girls began squealing in excitement. Technically, Brooke and Lucas were the second couple in their group of friends to get married, but the girls hadn't experienced the pre-wedding excitement with Jake and Peyton because they just eloped and only told people they got married after their vacation. Needless to say, the three girls were going to be making up for the lost excitement during this wedding.

Haley and Peyton smiled back excitedly at the bride to be and the women immediately dove into a fast, hectic conversation about the upcoming nuptials.

* * *

Nathan opened the door to Lucas' bedroom as quietly as he could, with a large smile still present on his face. Upon entering fully, he realized his quietness was unnecessary. Lucas and Jake were both sitting up and staring at him as he walked in.

"Well, well, about time you got back," Jake said.

Nathan shrugged. "How long have you guys been up?"

"Like half an hour. I'm more interested in where you've been though," Lucas replied.

"I spent the night at Haley's," he smirked.

His two friends laughed at the smug look on his face. "That's what we thought."

Nathan shrugged unabashedly and propped his hands behind his head as he leaned back against the head board of Lucas' bed. He turned his head and noticed the broad smile stretching across his brother's face.

"What are so happy about?"

"Dude, I'm getting married today! Why wouldn't I be happy?"

"It's gonna be the best day of your life, man," Jake said from the floor, with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

Lucas smiled in agreement at him. "I can't wait."

Nathan chuckled and slapped a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "You're so whipped."

"And you're not?" Lucas retorted. "You know you'd jump off a bridge if Haley told you to."

Nathan laughed while nodding his head and looking into his lap, slightly embarrassed. "Good point."

As Jake and Lucas laughed along with Nathan, a knock on Lucas' door resonated through the bedroom. "Come in," Lucas spoke loudly.

The door opened and revealed Deb. She smiled softly at the sight of the three men sitting around like they were young boys having a sleep over. "Karen wanted me to let you three know that breakfast is ready."

"Thanks, mom," Nathan said the three friends got up and followed her into the kitchen where they could smell Karen's delicious cooking.

Three plates were already set out at the table and the boys immediately sat in front of them. Keith and Lily were also at the table and smiled at them upon entering. "Did you boys sleep well?" Karen asked.

"I don't know about Nathan, but Jake and I slept great."

Nathan glared discreetly at his so called friends as they both burst out laughing. "I don't understand," Karen said confused.

"I guess after we got back from Tric last night, Nathan snuck out and went to Haley's after me and Jake fell asleep."

Keith chuckled and smirked at his nephew before standing and picking up his young daughter. In an effort to distract her and take her away from what was turning into an inappropriate conversation, he suggested he start helping her get ready for the wedding.

Deb and Karen laughed at the embarrassed look on Nathan's face. "It's okay, sweetie. Everyone knows how lost you always get without Haley with you."

Nathan shook his head and grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. He focussed his gaze on his full plate and began shovelling food into his mouth. Karen noticed how uncomfortable Nathan seemed and tried to steer the conversation away from him. "So, Lucas, are you excited about today?"

Once again, a beaming smile stretched across his face. "I can't wait to be able to call Brooke my wife."

The two older women cooed over how in love the man sounded. "I can't believe how much my baby has grown."

Lucas laughed softly. "You're going to start crying aren't you?"

Karen shook her head, attempting to keep her forming tears at bay. "No, not yet. I can't make any promises during the ceremony though."

Lucas smiled at his mother and stood up. He walked over to her silently and enveloped her in a tight hug. "I love you, mom."

"Oh, I love you, too, my boy," she whispered softly while rubbing his back. Karen pulled away from their hug and pushed her son's shoulder playfully. "Go finish your breakfast and get out of here before I do actually start crying."

Lucas chuckled softly before obeying and sitting back down at the table to finish eating his wholesome meal. A short time later, the three boys had finished their meal and exited the kitchen, ready to begin preparing for the wedding that afternoon.

* * *

A knock sounded on the church door. The three occupants of the room turned their heads and saw Karen open the door slowly and poke her head in. "Sorry to interrupt ladies, but you only have about five minutes now. You look beautiful, by the way, Brooke," she smiled.

Brooke smiled at her soon to be mother-in-law gratefully. Karen returned the gesture and closed the door as she backed out of the doorway. She turned back to her two best friends and looked at them excitedly. "Okay, well, before we go out there I just want to tell you guys that you're my best friends in the whole world. I love you both so much and I definitely wouldn't be standing here, calm, if it wasn't for how amazing both of you have been through this whole process. Thank you so much for being my best friends and being here for me my entire life."

Peyton and Haley immediately stepped forward and hugged the bride. All three had tears forming in their eyes at Brooke's speech. "We love you, too, Brookie," Haley said softly into her ear and Peyton nodded in agreement.

The girls pulled away and wiped at their eyes delicately. They smiled at each other and filed out of the room they had been in since arriving at the church two hours prior. All the guests had taken their seats and the only person the girls saw was Jake standing beside the entrance to the aisle, just out of view of all the guests.

As they reached him, music began playing and Peyton immediately took her cue and began walking down the aisle. Haley did the same moments later after giving her best friend one final hug and smile.

Soon, the traditional Here Comes the Bride instrumental song could be heard throughout the beautifully decorated church. Jake held out his arm and Brooke smiled while looping her own through it. He nodded in acknowledgement of her smile and began walking them up the aisle.

Brooke immediately began scanning the church and noticed everyone's eyes on her. Everyone that is, except for Nathan and Haley, who were staring at each other, completely clueless to what was going on around them. She laughed softly but stopped quickly when her eyes locked with Lucas'. He took her breath away and all Brooke could do was smile broadly as she and Jake continued the walk down the aisle.

They finally made it to the altar and Jake lightly kissed Brooke on the cheek and clapped Lucas' back before taking his spot behind Nathan and across from Peyton.

Lucas and Brooke linked hands with each other and the group of six friends, along with all the other guests in the church turned their attention to the minister as he began speaking about the sacredness of the sacrament of marriage and the immense power of love.

* * *

"What's taking them so long?"

"You're kidding right?"

Haley looked up at her boyfriend. "No."

Nathan chuckled softly. "Hales, they just got married. They're obviously still making out in their limo."

"Oh, good point. Why didn't I think of that?"

"I'm not sure. You're usually the smart one," he teased.

Haley scoffed and mock glared at him before swatting his shoulder. Just as she turned back to face the entrance of Tric, where the reception was being held, she saw light begin to flood into the already unusually lit club as the door opened. Brooke and Lucas walked in hand in hand with large smiles spread across their faces.

The emcee introduced the newly married couple and the reception guests offered their congratulations before everyone took their seats at their designated table and dinner was served immediately. Brooke and Lucas sat next to each other at a long table. Haley sat on Brooke's other side with Peyton on the end. Nathan sat next to his brother and with Jake beside him at the other end of the table. The guests ate their dinner and the group of six friends all happily laughed and joked with one another light heartedly.

After cutting the cake and having the opportunity to watch Brooke and Lucas feed each other messily, it was time for speeches to be made from the best man and maid of honour. Nathan and Haley had been virtually attached at the hip for the entire night so far and as the stood holding hands beside each other, listening as the emcee of the event walked to the set up microphone to introduce the speeches. As the man finished his short introduction of the speeches, Nathan stuck his arm out, gesturing for Haley to say her speech first.

Haley smiled at him and kissed his check gently before walking over to the microphone. All the guests and the rest of the wedding party were once again seated and Haley took a deep breath as she stood in front of the crowd. She scanned the crowed briefly before finally locking eyes with her best friend. She smiled at her and felt herself relax completely.

"I've known Brooke and Lucas almost my entire life. I remember Lucas and I sitting together quietly on the playground in pre-school minding our own business, and all of a sudden a loud brunette was sitting with us. She would come and sit with us every day and eventually, the three of us were best friends. For a few years, it was just the three of us, and then eventually we were joined by Jake, Peyton, and Nathan," Haley started and her smile widened at the mention of Nathan. "They started dating in junior year of high school and have been going strong ever since. So, when my phone rang at 7 in the morning back in February, I wasn't at all surprised to hear my best friend screaming that she was engaged. I remember being so happy for two of my best friends and thinking that they deserved to be happy more than anyone else because they were so clearly in love with each other. So here's to Brooke and Lucas. May you're immense love continue to grow everyday and may the both of you be happiest you have ever been with each other," she finished and raised her glass that was filled with champagne.

The rest of the guests raised their glasses and Haley still had her gazed locked with her best friend's. Brooke mouthed an I love you to her and Haley reciprocated the action. She walked away from the microphone and back to her seat where Brooke immediately stood and threw her arms around her friend, squeezing her tightly. Haley smiled as they pulled away and sat down in her chair before directing her attention to Nathan, who was now standing in front of the mic.

"As most of you know, Lucas is my brother, but he's also one of my best friends. We've been close since we were kids and pretty much inseparable growing up. I remember in the first couple years of high school, Lucas had it so bad for Brooke, but was too scared to tell her. Finally, when he managed to build up his courage, he admitted that he liked her and the two of them have pretty much been living in sin ever since," Nathan chuckled. "After being together for over eight years, apparently Lucas finally managed to build up the courage to ask his beautiful girlfriend to marry him. I know I speak for most of us here when I say that I've been waiting for this day for a long time, and I can say that I'm so happy for my big brother and his gorgeous new bride who also happens to be another one of my best friends. You two deserve to live a life filled with love and happiness. I love you both, and congratulations, guys," he finished with a smile.

Nathan walked away from the microphone and over to his brother. They did a quick man hug before Nathan moved to Brooke and gave her a quick hug as well. After that, the emcee had once again approached the microphone and announced it was time for the bride and groom's first dance.

Brooke and Lucas walked to the middle of the dance floor and linked hands while also putting a hand on each other's waist. They stood still for a moment until the sound of Augustana's Boston could be heard playing through the large club. The happy couple smiled at each other and began to dance slowly around the floor.

Halfway through the song, other guests began to enter onto the dance floor as well. Haley dragged an unwilling Nathan behind her onto the floor and immediately began slow dancing with him. She rested her head on his broad chest and smiled while closing her eyes contentedly. After a minute, Haley felt Nathan kissing the top of her head lovingly and she reluctantly pulled her head away from his chest and gazed into his eyes. She was met by the powerful stare of her boyfriend boring into her. "What?" she asked softly.

"Just thinking how I can't wait to marry you," he replied timidly.

Haley smiled up at him and kissed his lips softly. "I love you so much, Nathan."

"So you want to get married then?" he asked hesitantly.

"Of course I do. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know. I just thought that maybe since I screwed up so badly with you _twice _now, that you wouldn't want to be married to me."

Haley stared at him in disbelief and brought her hand up to cup his cheek. "Nathan, you know I've forgiven you for what happened all those years ago, and the whole Deb situation was one big misunderstanding. Neither of those things will ever be a reason for me to not marry you, okay?"

Nathan smiled at her, slightly embarrassed, but nodded his head in understanding anyway. Haley returned his smile and kissed him gently again. The first dance ended shortly after and it was time for Brooke to toss her bouquet.

"Go get 'em, baby," Nathan encouraged and Haley laughed as she joined the group of unmarried women prepared to catch the flowers.

Brooke turned her back and released the item. The bouquet flied through the air and Haley saw that it was going to land right in her hands. Out of nowhere, Haley saw someone fly through the air, leaping towards the flowers. The person caught the item and Haley looked down to see that the person was Mille, her usually reserved publicist.

Haley chuckled before shaking her head and returning to Nathan's side. She shrugged upon reaching him and he laughed softly. "I never knew Millie had it in her."

"Trust me, neither did I."

Nathan chuckled again, picturing the sight of the woman flying through the air towards a bouquet of flowers. Haley laughed along with him and rested her head on his chest much like she had been doing while they danced. "Are you excited for your tour in a few days?"

"Yeah. But I'm even more excited now that you're coming with me."

Nathan kissed her temple lovingly and dipped his mouth down so that only she could hear what he was saying. "I'll always be with you, baby. Everywhere you go, for the rest of our lives, I promise."

Haley lifted her head and looked deeply into his piercing blue orbs. "God, I love you," she said and sealed the declaration with a passionate kiss.

The couple was soon broken out of their kiss when the emcee once again approached the microphone and announced that the dance floor was now completely open, as well as the buffet table. The rest of the night was spent with friends and family, reminiscing about the early years of Brooke and Lucas' relationship and having an all around good time with the people that mattered most in the lives of the Tree Hill gang.


	24. Chapter 24

**Yay! I actually managed to keep my promise and finish this chapter really quickly! It's a tad shorter than I originally planned, but everything I wanted in it, is, so I guess I can't really add more stuff for the sake of more words, right? Anyways, this is technically the last chapter of this story and the next one is the epilogue! I hope you guys like it and look for the epilogue Thursday or Friday!**

* * *

Chapter 24

Three months had passed since Brooke and Lucas' wedding. Haley and Nathan had left days later for her world tour and hadn't been able to return to Tree Hill since. They hadn't seen any of their friends for about a month and Haley missed all of them like crazy. As much as he denied it, Haley knew that Nathan missed their friends as well.

Haley opened the front door of her home as quietly as she could. Nathan walked in right behind her with all their bags in hand. She turned her head as he groaned at the weight of the luggage and glared at him. He playfully stuck his tongue out at her before dropping the heavy suitcases on the floor. Haley shook her head good naturedly and walked further into her home silently, heading straight for the kitchen with Nathan trailing right behind her once again.

When Haley made it the kitchen entrance, she stopped and rested her head against the door frame while crossing her arms over her chest. Nathan stopped directly behind her and she let her back lean against his chest. She smirked as she realized the two other occupants of the room had no idea that they were there. "Well, well, look who it is!"

Brooke and Lucas immediately whipped their heads around from the kitchen table and stared at the newly arrived couple in shock. Brooke then leapt from her seat and ran across the room to her best friend, squealing the entire way. Haley also began moving across the room in order to get to her friend faster.

The two girls collided in the centre of the room in a bone crushing hug. They continued to hold onto each other as tight as possible, tears forming in both their eyes. "I missed you so much, Hales!"

"I missed you, too, Brookie. We're never going to go that long without seeing each other ever again."

"Deal!" Brooke agreed and the friends finally pulled away from each other.

They turned and saw that Nathan and Lucas were now standing beside each other across the room and laughing at the girls' antics. "You two are such girls," Nathan chuckled.

"Uh, duh, Boy Toy. In case you forgot, we are girls."

"Oh, trust me, I'd never forget that my baby is all woman," he replied with a full blown smirk across his face.

Haley blushed as Brooke laughed loudly. She walked over to where the boys were standing and hugged Lucas before finding herself in Nathan's arms for the millionth time that day. She smiled up at him, despite being embarrassed by his earlier words and kissed his cheek softly.

"Aren't you two just the cutest," Brooke cooed.

The couple shrugged and smiled at each other. After reconciling three months ago Nathan and Haley had been virtually inseparable. Nathan would attend all of Haley' concerts, sound checks, wardrobe fittings, interviews, and even joined her in hair and makeup. Over the course of the tour, anywhere one of them was, the other was no doubt nearby. Nathan and Haley both agreed they wouldn't have it any other way. After three drama free months together, the couple were stronger and happier than ever, and most definitely could not wait to start living their normal lives with each other every day.

"So, Hales, last show of the tour tonight. Are you excited?" Lucas inquired after he became increasingly weirded out by watching Nathan and Haley stare silently at each other.

"Yeah, I am. The tour's been great, but I'm really happy that it's finally over. I just want to get back to my normal life again, and sleep in my own bed."

The group laughed at Haley's last remark and her three friends all nodded in understanding. She shrugged and leaned her back against Nathan's chest. "What time do you have to get to the Rivercourt?"

"Sound check starts in a couple hours, then after that you know the drill: wardrobe, hair, make-up, more rehearsals, and concert."

Nathan smiled at her and kissed her lips softly. "I'll be with you."

"Now that that's decided, Tutor Girl and I have to go catch up!" Brooke announced. "No boys allowed," she giggled and dragged her best friend out of the room away from the two disappointed looking boys.

* * *

"So, tell me all about the tour!"

"It was amazing, Brooke. I loved every single minute of it. I mean, there's nothing better than getting up on stage night after night and hearing the cheers of all the fans. It's one of the best feelings ever," Haley replied with a beaming smile spreading on her face.

"And how are things with Boy Toy?"

If possible, Haley's smile grew ten times wider. "Everything has been so perfect. For the past three months, Nathan's been like a model boyfriend. I don't think things could be any better between us."

"That's so good, Hales. If anyone deserves to be happy like that, it's you and Nathan for sure."

"Yeah," Haley replied softly, her thoughts shifting over to all the amazing moments she had been sharing with Nathan for the past few months.

"Okay, enough with the day dreaming about Nathan, I haven't seen you for over a month, so we need to catch up!" Brooke declared minutes later.

"Okay, okay! What have you and Luke been up to since I last saw you guys?"

"Oh, you know, not much. We just decided that we're gonna move to Tree Hill, that's about it though," she shrugged.

Haley's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Yep! We talked about it and I decided I wanted to open a store here and I can pretty much run Clothes Over Bros from anywhere, Luke can write anywhere too, so we figured we might as well live here, it's home."

Haley hugged her friend tightly. "That's so awesome! We haven't actually lived even in the same state since high school. It'll be amazing to finally be able to just see you whenever I want!"

"I know! We're still looking for houses though, nothing has really jumped out at us yet."

"I'm sure you two will find the perfect house soon," Haley reassured as she checked the time using her phone.

"What time did you say you have to be down at the Rivercourt for?" Brooke asked upon seeing the other girl look at the time.

"I still have a couple hours."

Brooke nodded. "Whose all coming to this show?"

"Um, everyone I think. My mom called last week and said that all my siblings are coming plus their husbands and wives, Karen, Keith, and Lily are supposed to be there, Peyton and Jake said they'd be there, and then you and Lucas too."

"Whoa, that's a lot of people. Are we gonna do anything afterwards you think?"

"There are no plans to right now, but I think we should. It'll give us all a chance to really catch up and spend some time with each other finally."

"Yeah. I'll call Karen later and ask if it's cool if we all go back to the cafe."

"Sounds good," Haley said before glancing at her bedroom door.

Brooke laughed and shook her head. "You miss him already don't you?"

"A little bit," Haley shrugged.

The other girl smiled at her friend. "Alright, I guess we can cut girl time short and go back down to our boys."

Haley laughed and grabbed Brooke's hand and began walking out the room with her. "I missed you, Brooke Davis."

"Its Brooke Davis-Scott now, but I missed you too, Haley James."

The two girls smiled at each other and continued walking down the hall of the home to return to their respective partners that were eagerly awaiting their return from their short departure.

* * *

Haley bounded off the side of the stage and leapt into Nathan's open arms excitedly.

"You're so amazing, baby."

Haley smiled at her boyfriend. "Thanks."

Haley had just finished her encore of her last concert of the world tour. She and Nathan had been at the Rivercourt for hours in preparation for the concert. The prep was exhausting for her, but in Haley's eyes it was all worth it as soon as she got on stage and saw all the people that had gathered there and that were screaming her name in excitement.

"So everyone's meeting back at the cafe still?" Haley asked a few minutes later.

"Yep. I saw Jake, Peyton, Keith, your mom, and my mom. Your mom said she was going to pass on the message to all your siblings, so we should see everyone there."

"I can't wait. It's been so long since we've seen everybody," Haley said with a smile.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to finally be able to talk to them in person instead of on the phone," Nathan agreed and smiled proudly at his girlfriend when he heard the sound of the enthusiastic crowd chanting her name for an encore. "Go. Give your fans what they want," he said while tilting his head in the direction of the stage.

Haley turned her head to look at the stage before turning back to Nathan with a large smile on her face. She kissed him tenderly before jumping away from his arms and skipping up onto the stage. She winked at him as she walked to the centre and turned to the chanting crowd to perform her encore.

* * *

"Nathan, no one's here yet," Haley said confused as they walked into the empty cafe.

Nathan shrugged and wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's waist. "They'll get here soon. Why don't we go up on the roof and wait for them?"

She smiled at him and nodded her head. "Yeah, that sounds really nice actually," she spoke softly and leaned her head against his shoulder as the pair began walking hand in hand up the stairs to the roof top.

Haley's jaw dropped as the couple made it to the roof and closed the door to the stairs behind them. She gazed around and saw dozens of lit candles laid out to create and aisle into the centre of the roof. Roses had also been placed anywhere and everywhere.

Haley noticed that Nathan was now in the centre of the roof, where the candles formed a circle at the end of the aisle. She had a fleeting thought about when he had gotten there and why she failed to noticed, but it quickly vanished as she took in the extraordinary smile spread across Nathan's face. Haley smiled back just as widely and walked to meet him.

They kissed passionately upon being close to each other again and Nathan pulled back after a few minutes with the wide smile once again on his face. "What are you so happy about?"

Like he did earlier, Nathan merely shrugged in response before speaking. "I love you so much, Hales."

"I love you, too, Nathan."

Nathan's smile widened and Haley looked at him slightly confused as he took a deep breath. His next movement had her breath catching in throat as she watch her boyfriend get down on one knee, still holding one of her hands while fishing in his pocket for something with the other.

"Nathan..." Haley tested nervously.

He looked back up at her with the smile still on his face once he had found what he had been digging for in his pocket. He noticed that tears were beginning to glisten in her eyes, but Nathan just continued to smile at her. He took one last deep breath and prepared himself to recite the speech he had been practicing for weeks.

"Haley, I love you, and you're my entire world. You make me feel like my life has a purpose; you make my life feel worth living. The seven years we spent apart were the worst years of my life. Not just because I felt horrible about hurting you or because my life had changed so much since high school, but mainly because you weren't there with me every day. That time apart proved to me what I already knew back in high school though: I _need _to be with you every second of every day. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be that ninety year old couple that's still as in love as we were when we first started dating. So, will you grant me that wish and marry me, Haley James?"

Haley stared at him in awe as tears streamed down her face. She began nodding her head repeatedly, unable to speak at the moment.

"Is that a yes?" Nathan asked hopefully.

Haley laughed joyfully and continued to nod her head. "Yes!" she finally managed to choke out gleefully.

Nathan began laughing along with her and opened the ring box to reveal an engagement ring with a platinum band and a large diamond situated in the centre with another smaller diamond on both sides of it. He gently took it out of its confines and slid it onto Haley's left hand. After, he immediately stood up and kissed her, attempting to convey his love for her in it.

As the couple pulled away, Haley looked down at her hand and admired her beautiful new piece of jewellery. She looked back into Nathan's eyes and smiled at him before wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tightly. "God, I love you."

"I love you, too, and I can't wait for you to be my wife."

"Me either, fiancé," she giggled.

Nathan kissed her temple and squeezed her gently before pulling away and nodding his head in the direction of the door. "I think we better go back down. I'd guess that everyone's here now and that they're dying to know what's up."

"Why? What did you tell them?"

"I just asked everyone to wait a little while before coming here because there was something I needed to talk to you about and it couldn't wait."

Haley laughed. "They're definitely wondering what's going on."

Nathan smirked while nodding and led them back down the stairs into the cafe. They were met by a large group of people crowded in the room. Haley glanced around and saw her three brothers and their wives, Vivian and her husband, Quinn, Taylor, her mom, Karen, Keith, Lily, Deb, Brooke, Lucas, Jake, and a slightly pregnant Peyton.

"Finally! We all got here like ten minutes ago. I was beginning to think you two were like having sex up on the roof or something!" Brooke exclaimed.

Haley blushed as everyone in the room focussed their attention on the two new members of the group. She shook her head as she saw everyone else laughing at her embarrassment and glared playfully at the women responsible for creating the embarrassment. She watched as Brooke suddenly stopped laughing and looked wide-eyed at Haley's left hand.

"NO WAY!" she screeched, and everyone immediately stopped laughing and looked at Brooke questioningly.

She screamed and ran across the room and enveloped her friend in a tight hug before pulling away a seizing her left hand, examining the ring. "MY BEST FRIEND'S ENGAGED!"

At that, screams from Peyton, Lydia, Karen, Vivian, Quinn, and Haley's sister in laws were heard in the room as the eight women also ran up to Haley. Taylor made her way over to her younger sister slightly less enthusiastically with Lily running past her excitedly once she had clued in as to what was going on.

Nathan kept one arm snug around his fiancée's waist as the important women in her life all fought to congratulate them and look at the ring. The men in the room also began moving towards the couple and offering their congratulations to them. Nathan tightened his hold on Haley slightly when he noticed the menacing looks her brothers were giving him from across the room after they had hugged their sister.

She turned with a smile on her face and looked at him knowingly. "Ignore them. We're getting married," she said and finished her statement softly with the smile growing larger with every word.

"We're getting married," Nathan repeated, astounded and kissed her forehead lovingly before finally letting go of her waist and allowing the other women to fawn over her completely while he hung back with the guys and spoke casually about the tour and the concert they had all just came from. Nathan listened half heartedly to the conversation that was taking place around him, but found himself unable to break the gaze he had locked on his fiancée's chocolate brown eyes as she stared lovingly back at him. Nathan smirked and watched as she blushed lightly at the gesture, all the while unable to help thinking that he was most definitely the luckiest man in the world.


	25. Epilogue

Last chapter guys! I can't believe that it's over already! It's been a blast writing this story and I wanna thank everyone who reviewed, favourited, or added it to their alerts. I just began writing the first chapter of my next story so look out for the summary at the end of this chapter, but I'm hoping to post that in the next couple weeks. So, I hope you all enjoy the epilogue! Final reviews will be extremely appreciated! (:

* * *

Chapter 25

Haley smiled widely as she walked into her delicious smelling kitchen. She stood silently, watching her husband manoeuvre around the room trying to cook breakfast.

Nathan and Haley had been married for four and a half years and both had never been happier in their lives. She had been living in Tree Hill ever since moving there while they were still dating. After getting engaged, the couple dove into planning their dream wedding and after six months, Nathan and Haley finally got married on the beach in their home town. Three months into the planning, Haley found out she was pregnant and nine months later, James Lucas Scott was born.

When Jamie was born, everything in Nathan and Haley's life changed. Nathan retired from the NBA to be closer to his family; Haley took a leave from recording albums and went into business with Jake and Peyton, helping to run the label in LA and the one the couple opened in Tree Hill after moving back home. She still recorded a song or two every once in a while, but Haley had no plans to tour anytime soon. The change came as a shock to both of them but they eventually managed to adjust. Now five years later, the family of three were as content as ever.

Lucas and Brooke were still in the honeymoon phase of their marriage and everyone was sure it would never end. The couple was in the process of adopting a baby girl after Brooke learned that she was unable to have children. The news was devastating for everyone, but so far Brooke and Lucas had managed to take it all in stride. They had moved back to Tree Hill permanently after Haley's tour finished, finding a house right down the street from Nathan and Haley.

Peyton and Jake had also decided to move back to their hometown with their friends after their daughter, Jenny was born. They opened a Tree Hill Red Bedroom Records location and were successful in signing many talented artists so far.

Haley chuckled as she saw her husband fail completely at flipping a pancake. Hearing her, he turned around and glared playfully before turning his attention back to the burning food in the pan. Haley walked further into the room and wrapped her small arms around Nathan's waist, resting her head on his back while he continued to try to cook. She didn't move when she heard his frustrated sigh or the turning off of the stove top.

"It was really sweet of you to try, but we all know you can't cook breakfast foods, babe," she said playfully.

Nathan shrugged and turned so that his wife's head was now resting on his muscular chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist, much like she was doing to him and dropped a feather light kiss onto the top of her head.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked after a few minutes of silence had passed between the two.

"The day I told you I was pregnant."

Nathan smiled. "That was one of the best days of my life."

_"Okay, thank you for calling," Haley said and hung up the phone. She sighed and put her face in her hands. She began pacing back and forth across the living room of her home with Nathan. "God, how am I gonna tell him?" she asked herself out loud._

_"Tell me what?" Nathan asked as he walked into the room._

_Haley jumped and turned to face her husband. "Jeez, Nathan! You scared me!"_

_He laughed and approached her. "Sorry, baby. But, tell me what?"_

_Haley took a deep breath and looked into Nathan's deep blue eyes. "Maybe you should sit down for this."_

_He looked at her puzzled. "Should I be worried?"_

_"Um, no. At least, I don't think so. But maybe you should be, because I'm totally freaking out right now," she rambled._

_"Okay, calm down. Why don't we both sit and you can tell me what's going on?"_

_She nodded her head and took a seat next to him on the couch. "So, what is it?"_

_Taking in a deep breath again, Haley attempted to prepare herself to share her news. "I'm pregnant."_

_Nathan looked at her stunned for a few seconds before a wide smile overtook his face."That's amazing!" he said enthusiastically and kissed her tenderly._

_After pulling away, Haley looked at him nervously. "Really? You're happy?"_

_"Why wouldn't I be happy? We're having a baby!"_

_Haley chewed on her bottom lip. "I don't know, I guess, just because, you know," she stammered._

_Nathan's expression immediately turned to one of understanding. "You were scared to tell me because of how I reacted the last time you told me you were pregnant."_

_"I know you would never react that way now, I just couldn't help but feel a little nervous that maybe a part of you wouldn't be excited," she explained as tears began welling in her eyes._

_"Thanks for the faith, Haley," he scoffed and stood up from the couch._

_"Nathan!" she cried._

_Nathan turned back to face his fiancée and saw the tears streaming quickly down her face. He sighed guiltily while running a hand down his face. He sat back down on the couch next to her and wrapped an arm around her shaking shoulders. "Shh, it's okay. I'm not mad, I'm sorry."_

_Haley locked her watery orbs with his deep blue ones. "I'm sorry, too. I should trust you to not hurt me anymore."_

_He smiled. "So we're both idiots then?"_

_"I guess so. Hopefully our baby isn't as idiotic as us though," she smiled and grabbed his hand, placing it a top hers covering her still flat stomach._

_Nathan smiled at the mention of their child and only nodded his head, too wrapped up in staring at Haley's stomach._

"Even with the semi fight we had?"

"I wouldn't really call it a fight when it lasted like a minute."

"Good point. God, I can't believe he's five years old already."

"I know! Hopefully the next one won't grow up so fast."

"Next one?" Haley asked with a quirked eyebrow and moved out of his embrace.

"Yeah, next one. We're having lots more kids, Hales."

"Lots? I'd really rather not push a bunch more ten pound babies out of me!" Haley joked with him.

Nathan looked in his wife's eyes and saw the twinkle shining in them. He laughed and shook his head. "For a second I thought you really didn't want any more kids."

"Oh, I'm sorry baby! I didn't hurt your feelings did I?" she teased.

Nathan mocked glared at her before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling his wife into him tightly again. "Only a little. I can think of something you can do to make me feel better though," he said while raising his brows suggestively.

Haley chuckled softly at her husband's antics. "Play your cards right and we might just be able to try making that next baby you want later tonight. For now though, you're gonna have to settle with this," she said and finished with a tender kiss.

The couple pulled away with smiles on their faces moments later. "What do you say to going upstairs and waking up the birthday boy?" Haley asked.

"Lead the way, wife."

Nathan and Haley walked up the stairs of their home hand in hand. When they got to their son's bedroom they saw that he was just waking up. The couple stopped in the doorway with Haley leaning her back against her husband's chest as they watched Jamie's eyes flutter open.

"Something looks different about him?" Haley whispered loudly to her husband so that her son would hear.

"Yeah, I see it, too. What is it though?" Nathan questioned, playing along.

The parents heard their son giggling and Nathan and Haley smiled, knowing full well that their son was aware of the difference in him today. They turned their gazes to the small boy whose eyes were now wide open, staring at his goofy parents. "Do you know what's different about you today, Jimmy Jam?"

"It's my birthday, Momma!"

Haley gasped in mock shock before bounding into her little boy's room. "It is your birthday!" she confirmed and leapt onto his bed, showering him with kisses.

Nathan remained leaning up against the door frame with a smile on his face at the sight of his crazy wife interacting with her baby boy. He was constantly in awe of how amazing of a mom Haley was. He always knew that she would be a great mother, but his expectations came nowhere near the reality. One of his favourite sights in the entire world was seeing Haley interact with Jamie. She was always so loving that it blew him away.

Nathan was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed that the laughter coming from his wife and son had died away. He focussed his gaze back on them and noticed that they were staring directly at him. "Come on, Daddy, you have to give the birthday boy his birthday kisses!" Haley teased, knowing full well he had zoned out.

He smiled at the two of them and walked over to Jamie's bed. He kissed his son on the top of his head and ruffled his hair gently. "Happy birthday, buddy," he smiled and sat down behind his wife so she could rest against his chest.

The family of three sat on Jamie's small bed in silence for a few minutes. The only sound was the rustling of Jamie's sheets as he made himself comfortable against his mother's stomach while she lovingly played with his short blond hair.

"So, what do you want for your birthday, Jimmy Jam?" she asked, although already knowing that any toy he could possibly want they most likely had already bought for him.

"I really want two things!"

"Okay, what are they?"

"I want a Wii and I really, really want a little brother, Momma!" he exclaimed with a cute smile.

Haley smacked Nathan's leg as she felt the rise and fall of his chest from his laughter. She turned her head to glare at him playfully before turning back to her young son. She smiled at him uneasily. "Sorry, baby, but we're not going to be able to give you a little brother this year. It takes a little while."

"Why? What do you have to do?"

Nathan's laughter increased upon his son's question. He watched his wife struggle to come up with a suitable answer for a five year old, he too racking his brain for something to say to appease his young son's mind. "Well, Jame, we don't just get a baby whenever we want one," he began.

"Yeah, first Mommy and Daddy have to prove we really love each other and then we have to do all these tests and they take a really long time!" Haley continued on.

Jamie nodded his head, accepting his parents' explanation for now. "What about a wii?"

Nathan and Haley breathed a sigh of relief when their son accepted the answer and changed the subject. "You'll have to wait and see about that one! Now, how about I get you all dressed while Daddy goes and finishes making us breakfast?"

Jamie contorted his face slightly. "Daddy's making breakfast?"

Haley laughed softly at her son's remark and shrugged at the look of slight hurt on her husband's face. "Don't worry baby, I'll make sure he doesn't mess it up."

Nathan mocked glared at the two them as he rose from the bed and began heading back down to the kitchen to continue in his cooking efforts. Haley got off the bed after her husband had exited the room and picked her son up. She carried him in her arms to his closet. "What do you wanna wear on your special day, buddy?"

Not surprisingly, Jamie reached for his red cape that he had been donning everywhere he went for the past couple weeks. "Okay," Haley chuckled and grabbed a little blue polo and some shorts to complete the outfit. She set the boy down and quickly helped him get dressed.

When they finished, Jamie grabbed his mother's hand and lead her downstairs into the kitchen where they found Nathan attempting to flip a pancake. A plate of burnt ones was placed on the counter next to him and Nathan angrily added another to the pile when he saw the black side of the pancake he finally managed to flip. Haley laughed silently at Nathan's anger and placed Jamie on a stool at the island counter before walking around it to the stove and gently prying the spatula from Nathan's hand.

The two boys watched in silence as Haley slowly poured some pancake batter into the frying pan and flipped it with ease a minute later. She then waited another couple of moments before flipping it again and then placing it on a clean plate. She turned to Nathan with a loving smile and kissed his cheek softly. "I got it from here," she whispered.

Nathan grudgingly sat down next to his son and watched his wife finish off making their breakfast. She put the food on three separate plates and set two of them down in front of her husband and son. Nathan looked at Jamie's plate and noticed a smiley face made out of cut up fruit and a slice of bacon was on the first pancake. He frowned while looking back at his own food.

"Something wrong?" Haley asked.

"Why don't I get a smiley face?"

Haley smiled at her childish husband. "I'm sorry. Did you want one?"

"Yeah!"

"What'd ya say, Jamie? Should I give Daddy a smiley face, too?"

She smiled seeing her husband mouthing the word yes to their son and Jamie nodded at her. "Oh, alright then," she conceded and placed a slice of bacon and extra fruit on top of Nathan's pancake. "Happy now?"

"Very," he replied and leaned across the counter to give her a sweet kiss. Haley reciprocated and the couple broke apart upon hearing the sound of their son.

"That's gross!"

"You know, in a few years you won't be saying that."

"Nathan!" Haley reprimanded. "It will be a whole lot longer than a few years."

"Not if he's anything like his Daddy," he winked at her.

She shook her head and faced her son. "How do you feel about coming to work with Momma today, Jamie? Aunt Peyton's gonna bring Jenny with her so you two can play while we work."

"Okay! What about you, Daddy?"

"I'm going out of town with Uncle Lucas today. But I promise I'll be back in time for your party with all your aunts and uncles tonight."

Jamie nodded, accepting the answer and went back to eating his breakfast. Nathan and Haley smiled at their soon before going back to eating as well. The small family finished their meal shortly after and Nathan left the house to go pick up Lucas and Haley and Jamie continued with getting ready for the day before heading to Red Bedroom Records.

* * *

Jamie walked over to his mother, who was standing talking with Peyton, Jake, and Brooke in Karen's Cafe. His birthday party with just his 'family' members had started almost two hours ago and the little boy was already pretty tired. He had spent the day at the studio with Haley, Peyton, and Jenny while the two women worked on booking bands for an upcoming concert.

Upon standing in front of his mom, Jamie held up his arms, signalling he wanted to be picked up. Haley smiled down sympathetically at her son and obliged. Jamie immediately rested his head on Haley's shoulder and closed his eyes. "When's Daddy gonna be here?" he asked sleepily.

Haley kissed his temple as she began rubbing his back soothingly. "I'm not sure, sweetie. He should be here soon. You can sleep if you want; I promise I'll wake you up when he gets here."

"Okay," he replied quietly and Haley felt him bury his face in her neck. She continued to rub his back until she heard his breathing even out after a couple minutes.

Haley tuned back into her friends' conversation with a soft smile gracing her features. She noticed that her three friends were staring at her and her son. "What?"

"You two are just so cute together!" Brooke cooed, mindful to keep her voice down.

Haley laughed quietly at her friend. "Thanks, Brooke." Haley turned her head when she heard the bells above the door of the cafe chime. She smiled at the sight of her husband and Lucas walking into the establishment. Nathan locked eyes with his wife immediately and the two boys began walking over to their group of friends.

"Hey, baby," he greeted and kissed his wife's cheek quickly.

"Hey."

"I see the boy already fell asleep?"

"Yeah, he was pretty tired. It's been a long day."

"How about we get out of here then? We can give him his present and then hopefully manage to get him to sleep?" Nathan suggested.

"Yeah, sounds good."

Nathan and Haley turned to their friends and said their goodbyes. Nathan left the cafe and drove home in his SUV along with the birthday present he had driven to get for Jamie today. Haley walked over to where Karen and Keith were sitting at the side of the cafe.

"Hey, Karen, I was gonna take off and get him to bed. Do you need me to stay and help clean up or anything?"

"No! Its fine Haley, we can manage," she smiled and stood up to hug the young woman. Keith smiled and said good bye as well before Haley exited the cafe and began driving home, her son still sleeping.

Haley walked into her house with Jamie once again in her arms and whisper called out for her husband. He walked into the foyer to greet them and Haley gently roused Jamie from his sleep. The little boy yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Hey Jimmy Jam, you think you could stay awake long enough for Mommy and Daddy to give you one of your presents?"

Jamie's head immediately perked up. He hadn't received any gifts so far today because Nathan and Haley had both agreed to give Jamie all his presents on the day of his actual birthday party the next day. The little boy nodded his head enthusiastically and the parents laughed when he struggled to be placed back on the ground.

"Okay bud, close your eyes," Nathan instructed as each parent took one of his hands in theirs and lead him to the laundry room.

"Alright, you can open them now."

Jamie immediately opened his eyes and saw a fluffy, yellow ball curled up on a soft looking pillow in the small room. His mouth dropped open and he looked back and forth between his parents, looking for confirmation to what he thought the thing was. Nathan and Haley both nodded with smiles on their faces and Nathan bent down to pick the thing up.

Upon being held, the thing perked its head up and Jamie was met by a pair of dark brown eyes and cute floppy ears. "Do you like him Jamie?" Haley asked.

"This is the best birthday ever! I love him!"

"You know Jamie, since he is your puppy, you get to pick a name out for him."

"I do?"

"Yep! So, you got any ideas?"

"What about Archie?"

The boy's parents laughed. "I think Archie is a great name," Haley told him and Nathan nodded in agreement.

They allowed Jamie to play with his new puppy for a little while before insisting he go to bed to rest up for his big party the next day. With a little reluctance, Jamie finally went off to bed, not without begging to have Archie sleep in his room though. Haley and Nathan caved on that one and Nathan found himself moving the dog's bed up to his son's room.

The parents said good night to Jamie and turned off the light to his bedroom. They walked hand in hand back downstairs and Haley sat down on the sofa in the family room while Nathan headed into the kitchen. He entered the room and handed his wife a glass of water with a beer in hand for himself. Haley rested her head on her husband's shoulder as soon as he sat down.

"He had a great day today."

"I wish I was here. But I think the drive to Charlotte was worth it with the look on his face when he saw the puppy."

"It definitely was. I love you, Nathan Scott."

"I love you, too, Haley James, you complete me. I don't think time heals all wounds, but I know your love healed all of mine," he declared and kissed her lips tenderly.

"God, you're so amazing. Now what do you say to trying to make that baby now?" she finished suggestively.

Nathan smirked at his wife. "I thought you'd never ask."

Nathan quickly stood up and picked his wife up. He carried her up the stairs and began kissing her neck as she giggled at his eagerness. Little did the couple know that they didn't need to try to do anything. Haley was already pregnant and in eight and a half months, the Scott family would be graced with another baby, and another thing to be joyful about in their life.

It is true, for Nathan and Haley, time didn't heal all wounds, but love from the other person did more for them than time could ever do. Nathan and Haley Scott were finally whole again after making their way back to each other. For Nathan and Haley, love can out do anything.

* * *

**Coming Home:** **After Haley James' life is torn apart she is forced to move across the country and restart. There she is surrounded by many new people, but will Haley be able to move on from what happened to her, and will she be able to let go of her old life enough to be happy in her new one?**

This will be a Naley story and once again, look for it in the upcoming weeks! :)


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